Hiding behind Silver
by nanahikari2000
Summary: It was supposed to be simple, her life. Or fulfilling, at least. Get a good job to prove that woman wrong -that was the most of her ambitions. Nothing else was in mind. Romance was nothing but strangely unsettling. …But then, she just had to meet him. To throw her numb life in perplexing flutters and turmoil. Why, she wonders, couldn't her father of had married another woman?
1. Prologue

A lone girl sips her lukewarm tea, clacking her well-kept nails against her laptop.

"You better work otherwise I'll delete your stupid program..." She mutters with narrowed eyes, reloading a browser. She waits with an irritable scowl, glaring at her screen with less than hopeful eyes.

After a few seconds, a pop-up greets her.

_Failed to connect. Please try again. If the problem persists, please check your internet connection._

Seeing that it had failed her once again, she groans, whipping her head back in forfeit. With a tightly clenched jaw, she muffles her cuss as she messes up her dark hair, smooth long tresses tangling together.

Trying to calm herself down, she breathes deeply and slowly through her nose as she clenches and unclenches her fists.

Now calmer, she lets out a deep, long sigh, releasing her reddened, throbbing fists.

"Oh...my...god." she breathes, then lowering her gaze at the screen. With the artificial light reflecting in her black-rim glasses, she glares at the unresponsive server. "Why won't you work for me, Skype...?"

Heaving a loud sigh, she adjusts her position on her well-worn, spongy lounge, then challenging the network once again. In one more desperate effort, she dials. Moments pass, and her call is quickly accepted. She nervously watches the screen, her tense fist pressed against her chin.

Thirty seconds or so pass, and the black screen changes to a man with slightly damp, coffee-brown hair. cozily sitting on a silken white love seat surrounded by maroon embroidered cushions. Wearing nothing but a hotel robe, he greets her with a lazy smile.

"Hey, darling. Can you hear me?"

"Yes, you?" She asks, staring nervously at the man inside of her screen. Wearing pleased smile lined with scruff, he gives her a thumbs up.

Relieved, she sinks in her coach with a long sigh, gazing at her ceiling.

"Jeez, that took way too long," she mutters, rubbing her temples, "I even wonder if it was worth the time and effort just to talk to you."

At her blunt comment, the man gapes, dramatically clenching his heart, creating creases in his once unwrinkled gown.

"Ayame, you're so cruel to your Daddy. Don't you love me enough to endure Malaysia's bad internet speed?"

"I never did in the first place, 'Daddy'." Ayame says, crossing her arms. Hurt by his child's harsh words, Rintarou covers his mouth, slowly shaking his head.

"Ayame, oh, Ayame...Why so distant? If you continue to be so mean, I guess I'll have no choice but to dib on you to Ema."

"In most families, it's usually the sibling who dobs to their parents, Dad."

"Well, then I guess we're just a part of the minority." he retorts, smiling with a hint of sarcasm. Ayame snorts, rolling her eyes. Seeing her amused smile, he curls a small smile, feeling his eyes soften. However, quickly remembering what he the intention of the call was, he loses the smile as quickly as he got it. A big gulp travelling down his scruffy throat, he snakes his hands over each other back and forth.

"…Speaking of families…" He mutters, deliberately trailing off. Raising a brow, Ayame watches his eyes nervously flicker about as he picks at a cushion thread, empty words trying to escape from his quivering lips.

Crossing her arms against her chest, she leans back into her sofa, watching him with a trained gaze.

"...Let me guess, this has something to do with you contacting me out of nowhere?"

He laughs shakily, running his rough and cracked hands through his lengthy, contrasting wet hair.

_Bullseye. _Heaving a soft sigh, Ayame crosses her legs, shutting her eyes closed.

"Ahaha…Yeah, there's something I need to tell you. Actually, quite a few."

Ayame's stomach turning queasy, she slowly flutters her open. Whenever he stated 'There's something I need to tell you,' it almost always turned out to be bad news.

She breathes in heavily, preparing herself for bad news. "...Yes, what is-"

"-I'm getting remarried." He blurts out, leaving his eldest daughter stunned. She stares at him in silence, no words escaping from her involuntarily gaping mouth.

_Her_ father remarrying? Impeccable.

Ever since her mother ran out on him, he was always fearful to touch a woman ever again, let alone marry.

Hearing his short, awkward cough, she hurriedly tears through her stupefied trance.

"O-oh…Congratulations." She clumsily stumbles out, though questions still roaming around her head.

Why was he suddenly getting remarried? Had he overcome his fear of heartbreak? Was his fiancee a good suit for him? Did he only decide to remarry because they lacked a mother figure in their lives?

Questions were popping up second by second, turning her brain into mushy turmoil. Ayame takes a few deep breaths, trying to cool down her overactive brain.

A few seconds of tense silence pass before she eventually lowers her head, meeting eyes with her father.

Spotting her small smile, Rintarou lets out a soft sigh of relief.

"So…who's the unlucky lady?" She jokes sardonically, as was her jokes with her father usually were, trying to ease the awkward mood.

"Miwa Asahina. The CEO of a famous apparel brand, called 'Sunrise'. You might have heard of it."

Not denying the 'unlucky' part as she expected he would, Ayame's awkward grin drops into one of a frown. Feeling uncomfortable with his sudden change of demeanor, she reaches out to her cup of tea, hoping it to work as a distraction of her uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"And…the woman of my life." He boldly states, crossing his hands over each other.

Hearing Rintarou's absurdly embarrassing statement, she coughs uncontrollably, the tea getting caught in her throat. As she chokes, tea slips out of the cup, spilling all over her paisley coach.

"H-hey, you didn't have to react like that!" He bashfully protests, his face dark red like a middle-schooler having their first kiss.

"It's…eugh, 'cause you said…ueegh!...S-something so out of character…!" Ayame chokes out, patting her chest firmly as she struggles to breathe, incessant coughs interrupting her words.

After a few seconds of finally gaining her breath, she unwillingly continues the conversation, curiosity beating awkwardness.

"So, what's so different about this one?"

"Ayame," He says with a low, scolding tone, then turning faint pink. "…that's your mother you're talking about."He coughs, feeling proud.

Ayame smacks her forehead, groaning softly under her breath.

"Dad, you're being excessively creepy today. Please stop." She begs, and he obeys, feeling a little embarrassed as a subtle blush dusts his cheeks.

A few seconds of silence ensue, and Ayame peeks up, staring at her bashful father with a sly grin.

"…Well? Tell me more." She says, curiosity tainting her words.

Her father smiles brightly, as if he were itching to tell her about his new love of his life.

"Well, where should I start?"

* * *

"And then Miwa said this! 'I don't mind if you're afraid of having of a relationship. After all, I can't say that I'm 100% secure with having one at this age, either…But, I feel that I should pursue. I feel that we're meant to be. So, I'll ask you solely backed up by my whim. Will you marry me?' That's what she said! Isn't she _so_ manly~? I just fell in love with her confidence and-"

Ayame had the urge to throw the nearby cotton cushion at her father's, sparkling bright face, or rather, laptop.

Ayame was tired. So very tired. Her father has told Ayame this story six times already and all other minor details about Miwa, such as her favourite colour and shoe size.

Taking a peek at the edge of her screen, she sighs.

_9:56_

From memory, they had started the Skype call at around six-thirty, so Rintarou was effectively carrying on about his new beloved fiancee for about three hours. Ayame did try to cool him down, but he never stopped. He just kept on going. Even when the connection cut from the bad reception, he just called back. If she didn't answer, he would call continuously for minutes.

Again and again.

Forever.

She was on the verge of just giving up, however, upon remembering that she had an important lecture to attend in the morning, desperation pushed her forward once again. Scooting up from her couch with a less than hopeful sigh, she perseveres one more time.

"Dad? If you could-"

"-I just couldn't believe that a woman like her was in love with me. Me!" Rintarou, oblivious to his daughter's qualms, continues on with a twinkle in his chocolate eyes.

"Dad…"

"She's just so regal, so beautiful, so-"

"Dad!"

"I'm just so thankful for her existence. If I never met her, I would've just-"

Realizing that just saying his name would be futile, she sighs, then mixing things up a bit.

"Miwa is an absolutely down-to-earth woman, I'm sure that the two of you will-"

"I think you shouldn't marry her!" Ayame yells, lying through her teeth, desperate to get his attention. However, a gulp of guilt immediately travels down her throat as she sees her father's crushed facial expression. His brows lower, a look of confusion and despair painting his face. He looks as if he were going to break by the slightest poke.

"…What?" He says, his jaw hanging weakly as he mutters the word.

A droplet of sweat tracing down her nape, she hastily goes to explain, involuntarily fumbling with her words. "No, no, no- Dad, Dad. I- I was just trying to get your attention because you weren't stopping, and I need to go to bed early tonight. I definitely approve your marriage, so relax, okay?"

She mentally curses to herself, slapping her cheek softly, as if to amend for her sin. Tears and crushed facial expressions always tugged at her heartstrings, especially when it came to people she cared about.

Sinking into the hotel's luxurious sofa, Rintarou exhales deeply, his face void of life.

"Gosh, you gave me a heart-attack, Ayame…"

"Well, you just wouldn't stop talking about her. What choice did I have?" Ayame sighs, then noticing her father's shy yet loving smile. Unable to help herself, a small, joyful grin creeps up her features.

_...So even he's finally moved on, huh? _

"…You're really in love with her, aren't you?"

Scratching his prickly chin, Rintarou bashfully laughs, a bit embarrassed to be acting like a teenager in his old age.

"I'm happy for you, Dad." Ayame blurts out, cupping her cheeks as she stares at him with a genuine smile. He thanks her with a small yet proud smile.

"Well, I'm hanging up. See you soon, or whenever we meet next," Ayame says, her cursor moving towards the exit button. However, to her surprise, is cut off by Rintarou's shaky, hasty yelps.

"Ah -wait, wait, wait! There's something else_ really_ important to tell you!" He cries, scrambling off the sofa while reaching out his arm in a mundane effort to grab her.

Obeying his hasty orders, Ayame ceases, staring at him with a cautious glint to her almond eyes.

"...What? The number of freckles on her body?" She says, observing her father. Although rolling his eyes, he answers back, surprisingly serious.

"No, but for your information, she has thirteen."

"…Seriously? _Seriously?_" Ayame mutters softly, staring blankly at her father. She was now officially worried for Miwa's safety.

"Can I just get to the point?" Her father grumbles, uncomfortable with being treated like a stalker. Sighing, Ayame allows him so.

"Miwa has thirteen sons, so you have thirteen new siblings." He informs her. Ayame freezes, her eyes widening.

_...Thirteen? Also, sons? _

Sinking into her chair, she sighs deeply, trying to ward off the uneasy feelings that came along with the abrupt news.

_Sons, sons, sons...Boys. Hm..._ She thinks to herself, the words repeating as if she were chanting a mantra. Her lips sculpt into a frown. She didn't know what to feel. Was she be happy gaining new family members? Probably, yes. But something else from back of her brain spoke to her, things she would rather avoid thinking about.

Furrowing her brows, she hastily waves off the thought, not wanting to confront it. Although forcibly, her thoughts wonder off to Miwa.

_Mother of thirteen...Well, she _is_ the woman that he picked. Having an abnormality is the norm...I guess? _Her lips harden into a frown, uneasy thoughts whispering to her. Hopefully, the number of kids she bore were the only thing unusual about her.

"...Well, that is pretty important news." She sighs, aligning her position.

"You're...surprised?" Rintarou squeaks, unsure on her feelings on the matter.

"Obviously yes, but considering this is your sweetheart, I'm not too entirely surprised. It would be worrying if she were normal, actually."

"Oh thank you,"

"The pleasure's mine."

"Well, leaving that aside, I'm glad you weren't too shocked," Rintarou says, exhaling deeply. However, his relief suddenly burns out, realizing the other important fact that he needs to say. He takes a big gulp before continuing. "Oh yeah…Another thing I need to tell you."

His uneasy tone sparks Ayame's a fire in her gut. She _knew_ this one was not going to be to her liking, and also did he.

"…Yes?" She says, staring through his soul. He stays silent. "Go ahead," She says, encouraging him, not wanting to scare him.

"Well," He inhales deeply, preparing himself to blurt the words out quickly, "Miwa and I are going to move in together to enjoy our new married life and Ema said that she wanted to live with her new brothers, and I gave her my permission, so Ema's going to live with them now."

Rintarou exhales deeply, relieved he got the words out fast. He hesitantly looks up, anticipating her reaction.

Nothing. She was frozen. She was blank.

"Uh-uhh…Ayame-chan~?"

"…She's, _what_?"

_Oh no._

A bead of sweat trails down Rintarou's neck. He knew this reaction. It was the same as that time.

Yes, exactly the same as the time he planned to travel around the world alone for three months to find himself, which meant leaving them alone to fend for themselves, as his policy was 'Independence and Liberty.'

Naturally, he did not get his way, as Ayame prevented him.

"…Moving in with her new brothers?" Rintarou squeaks, instinctively tensing up his body, guarding his face with his fists like a boxer.

_First she'll freeze, then she'll rage, then she'll kick me in the gu-_

Instead of a rage of insults, a very deep sigh enters his ears.

Taken off guard, he slowly opens his eyes.

"…H-huh?"

Ayame sighs deeply. "Dad, I'm not going to yell at you. I'm nineteen now."

"O-oh…" He says, surprised at her reaction. He decides to dip his toe further. "So…you approve?"

"Hell no." She says, offended by the thought. "Dad, Ema is not moving in with them. She's _sixteen_. Not even legal. She can't just move in with 13 men."

He gulps. Here comes the protests. But he couldn't back down. He promised Ema to somehow convince Ayame to approve, and though as selfish as it may sound, he wanted to live with his dear Miwa all alone.

"Ayame, they're family. Nothing bad is going to happen, I assure you." He coaxes, trying to sweeten her up. However, to his grimace, has his fake words backfired.

"Dad, I can _never _take your word. You may say they're family, but we weren't raised together. We're practically strangers. Things can happen. Why can't you understand?" She retorts, her bites getting worse.

"I do, I do. But, sweetie, I've met them. They're all very mature people and would never do such things that you're worrying about. Relax. They know their limitations. Plus, what adults would put their hands on a sixteen year-old girl, let alone step-sister?"

_Well…most of them. _Rintarou gulps, thinking about two possible threats, though not revealing his doubts to his face. It would be game over, after all.

"Even if you try to reassure me, I won't be convinced. Unless one of my conditions are fulfilled, I will not budge. You have three options; have Ema continue to live with you alongside Miwa, or you and Miwa live in the residence of her sons- oh, don't make that face!" Ayame chides, her father making a sad puppy face, not happy with the options present. Rintarou sulks as he is reprimanded by his daughter. As expected, she was adamant.

_Sorry, Ema darling. Papa gives up. Forgive this weak man. _He sighs as he apologizes to his sweet daughter in his mind. No doubt was she going to be disappointed.

"And, the third option is?" He asks half-halfheartedly, already given up on hope.

Ayame, who was still preoccupied with lecturing at her father, blinks. "Hm? Oh, have an older female figure in the house. Like Miwa, though you probably don't want that. Or a bodyguard…No, that's a little extreme…"

Ayame hums as she goes into a thinking mode, trying to find a good candidate. Rintarou brainstorms also, seeing as it was the only option available in his mind. Shortly, after a minute or so, he has a moment of enlightenment. A wide grin brightens his face, as he victoriously strikes a pose.

"_A-ha!" _Rintarou suddenly shouts, surprising Ayame.

"W-what?" She asks, a bit creeped out by her father's sudden cheer.

"I know the perfect candidate!" He cheers, extremely happy about his achievement.

"What? Who?" Ayame skeptically asks, looking at her ecstatic father. His already wide smile grins even bigger, showing his white teeth.

"You!" Rintarou shouts out, pointing at her. Ayame blinks a couple of times before his words sink in.

"What? Me? But I can't! I entered the dorm for a reason, you know." Ayame says, her priorities being her studies.

Rintarou shakes his head with crossed arms, "You're worried about commuting, right? Don't worry; the new house is unexpectedly close to your college. The more you know, right?" He says, wearing a proud smile, "Plus, to add cherry on top, you get to get away from Yukina."

Her body slightly tensing, she gulps at the mention of her roommate. It's not that she particularly had a problem with sharing rooms; after all she did enter a dorm, but that she had a problem with Yukina herself.

Yukina was, well, unique? She wasn't evil, but just really, really...open.

Or rather, a slut. A big one.

At least once a week, she came home with a guy or girl following her like a puppy as she entranced with cute giggles into _their_ shared bedroom. It was now a habit of Ayame's to exit the bedroom before night struck, landing her in the tiny but cozy living room. And, coincidentally, today was the day Yukina the hunter brought along a little 'pet'.

As a woman's soft moans escape from the thin, pastel walls separating the living from the bedroom, Ayame groans, tempted to yell at the noisy neighbors.

Whenever things got too tough, Ayame would complain about her via phone to her Dad…which Yukina later broke by 'accident'.

Her fist pressed into her chin, Ayame furrows her brows, seriously considering his offer as the moans get considerably more louder by the second, and now joined in by a hoarse, male's voice. Rintarou hides his triumphant smile with a cushion, not wanting to annoy her.

"But…" Ayame mutters, "Wouldn't having fourteen people to live with be distracting? I do have my studies, after all."

His heart thudding loudly, Rintarou desperately tries to think of things to counter, and fortunately, finds one.

"But it's not like you'll be sharing a room with someone. Plus, I don't think any of the brothers can top Yukina." He says, wriggling his brows. Apparently, he also could hear their cries.

Ayame agrees, as she hears moans -yet again- coming from the bedroom.

_Sigh. _

"Fine, I'll do it. But you're buying me a new phone. Yukina soaked it in water and now it's broke." She says, sighing.

Rintarou, amazed that he won an argument with Ayame for the first time, immediately obeys.

"As you wish, princess!" He hums happily, striking a victory sign.

"Uh-huh. Goodnight. I'm hanging up." Ayame says as she slowly moves her mouse towards the 'hang up' button.

"Thank you, Ayame. Selamat malam~!"

Ayame closes her laptop before staring blankly at ceiling.

_I guess things are going to become colourful_… Letting out a sigh, she proceeds towards the bedroom to catch some sleep. As she turns the knob, the raspy moaning of a man and a woman enters her ears, making her grumble irritably.

She bursts the door open, earning a naked male's panicked wail and a just as bare girl's cheeky, expectant grin.

"Slut and boy toy! Break up the party because I need sleep!"

_...Though things are already quite colourful._

A/N

Just rewrote my prologue for the third bloody time, haha! Felt it wasn't good enough, heck I'll probably come back and edit it later! Still feels like it's a bit shoddy, you see. DEFINITELY will re-edit my other chapters.

Now, just for the record, selamat malam is both Indonesian and Malaysian, so ya'll Indonesians out there; do not worry, I ain't culturally ignorant, so it's all dandy ;)!


	2. Chapter 1: Meeting the Family

"Aya-nee!" A familiar, soft voice calls out. Ayame turns around in response, and is greeted with her sister's pretty smile metres away. A wide smile decorating her features, Ayame runs towards her dear sister with a bounce to her walk.

"Ema! I thought you already arrived there." Ayame says to her, squeezing her sister tightly. Shy giggles escape from Ema as her sister's nostalgic scent wafts into her nose, her patting on Ayame's perhaps a bit too meatless back.

"I kinda got lost on the way...hehe..." Ema says, her cheeks a bit pink.

Separating from her sister, Ayame sighs with a knowing expression.

"I'm glad to see that you haven't changed, Miss Castaway. Just leave it to Miss Knows-Where-To-Go. I'll get us there." As if in response, a certain polka-dot ribbon wearing squirrel pops out of nowhere and starts squeaking at her.

_"Ayame! Thank god you're here! We've been walking around for ages! I thought I was going to die!"_

"Chii! Chi, chii!" Juli squeaks, adorably looking up to her with his beady, black iris' with a pleading expression.

"Hello to you too, Juli." Ayame chuckles, admiring his cuteness while scratching his little apple head. "Okay, now time to depart. We can't let them wait, can we?"

"_Humph! As if I care about making some wolves wait! Just see what I do to them if they dare touch you girls..."_

"Chiii! Chi Chi! Chii..."Juli squeaks, his aura turning foreboding as he brings out a gulp.

Ayame sighs.

Some things never change indeed.

* * *

"My big sister's are so late! When are they arriving, Maa-kun?" Wataru whines as he wounds his flimsy arms around Masaomi's waist. "Ne~, Maa-kun~?"

"Wataru. They'll probably be coming soon, so be a good boy and wait a bit more, okay?" Masaomi gently chides the boy while on the lookout for his two new sisters.

_...The younger girl, brown hair__...Hinode High School uniform...and the elder, black hair and glasses...Huh? Could they be...? _Masaomi squints his eyes for confirmation, two nearing figures matching his vague description.

"Maa-kun~! I can't wait anymore-" Wearing an annoyed pout, the babyish boy attempts to nag yet again, but upon seeing the sincere eyes of his father figure, his whines ceases as he stares back with a child's curious charm. Masaomi, smiling lightly at Wataru's good perception, ruffles his soft hair as if proud.

"Good for you, Wataru. Your patience has been rewarded."

Stopping his pats, he pops out two lollipops from his pocket and points towards the two young women heading their way. Wataru's face instantly brightens, his heartbeat quickly picking up pace in an ecstatic euphoria. "Here, why don't you go give-"

He stops his words, flinching slightly when his youngest brother roughly grabs the lollipops and dashes towards the two approaching figures.

"Onee-chan!"

"Geez..." Masaomi sighs, though not out of complete annoyance. Preparing himself for a jog, he goes after his slightly too excitable younger brother.

* * *

"Onee-Chan!"

An unfamiliar adolescent's voice rings in their ears, ceasing the two girls' relaxed conversation. The two raise their heads, only to jerk back once feeling a heavy weight charge into their bodies. Slightly confused and bewildered, Ayame slowly looks down, her brows knitting closer upon seeing a strawberry pink head of hair nuzzling in between their hips, separating their once locked arms.

"Uh..." Ema manages to scramble out, seeming to be just as bewildered as Ayame. Her head turns towards her older sister, seeking older assistance with this sudden predicament. Ayame gives her a curt yet reassuring nod before focusing on the boy, who was rather, _touchy_, nuzzling his head fervently between their womanly bodies.

"Hey, kid. Sorry, but who are-"

Suddenly, she stops her words, remembering his first words.

_Onee-chan!_

Her face lights up in recognition, and stacks her fist against her palm. Ema glances at her sister, slightly confused yet relieved, heaving a soft sigh upon seeing Ayame's face brim with reassuring confidence.

Hearing and noticing Juli's hostile hiss and bared, sharp claws, Ayame quickly jumps into action. Touchy as the boy may be, no child(or anyone, for that matter) should ever experience being mauled by an animal, Juli especially. Keeping that in mind, she swiftly kidnaps the hostile fluff-ball from Ema's shoulder, ignoring his protesting squeaks and flying claws as she stuffs him in her slightly suffocating purse. Sighing in relief, she ignores the slight discomfort stemming from her battle wounds(AKA, Juli's claws meeting her fingers), and focuses on the current predicament faced in between them. Wearing an obligatory smile, she confronts the boy and her theory.

"Hey, are Wataru-kun? Asahina Wataru-kun?" Ayame says while noting the brief list of names and ages of the boys her father e-mailed her.

Hearing her question, the boy cutely pops out and stares at her with adorably big, curious eyes. Finally seeing his face, Ayame smiles. He was absolutely adorable; from his cutely shaped face, to his cute little button-nose, akin to Juli's. The boy might turn out to be quite the looker when he grows up. If all the Asahina brothers turned out this cute...she _really_ didn't mind.

"Yep! I'm Wataru!" He says, a wide grin showing off his small baby-teeth. Ema squeezes her chest, letting out a soft, inaudible squeal. Ayame laughs. Somebody's captivated.

Ayame looks down to the boy, a mature, calm smile greeting him.

"Nice to meet you, Wataru-kun. Looks like we'll be siblings from now on. Take care of us, okay?" Ayame pats his head, to which he complies immediately. Ema giggles, covering her mouth.

"Wataru!"

The two girls look up, Ayame releasing her clutch on Wataru.

This time, the voice belonged to a rather handsome gentleman, though with a contrasting look of slight disapproval tainting his soft features.

"Maa-kun!" Their new brother shouts out in excitement, enthusiastically clapping his hands together. "Look, my new sisters are here! I'm so happy!"

"Wa-ta-ru. You gave them a fright. Apologize, okay?" The man gently scolds, huffing his chest as if exasperated.

Ema, being the nurturer she is, quickly comes to Wataru's defense, taking a hesitant yet sturdy step forward to the man. "Ah, no. It's fine, he was just excited to meet us. Right, Wataru-chan?" She smiles warmly as she looks down to the boy, reaching out her petite hand to his fluffy, strawberry hair. Wataru is quick to agree, drifting over to Ema's waist, leaving Ayame's belly free to breathe. He giggles against her belly, nudging his face deeply into her flat abdomen. Ayame, though slightly charmed by the sight, quickly refocus her attention on the new arrival.

She stares at the man, waiting for him to take notice of her gaze. A moment passes, and realizing her attention on him, the brunette gives the bespectacled individual a friendly smile. Ayame gives back an obligatory smile before getting down to business.

"Excuse me sir, but are you also one of our new brothers?" Ayame says, briefly remembering the names of the elder sons. He looked to be around his late twenties or early thirties, so maybe he was the eldest, second or third son? Truthfully, she thought Miwa had a bit too much children.

The man gives a gentle smile, curtly bowing to her before raising up to offer his hand.

"Ah, yes. I'm Masaomi, the eldest son. I work as a pediatrician. It's a pleasure to meet you two."

Not wanting to leave him hanging, Ayame quickly goes to take his smooth, clean hand, giving it a firm shake.

"Pleasure to meet you also. I'm Ayame, the eldest. I'm a second year at Shiba Women's College." Wearing a formal smile, Ayame guides her hand to Ema. "This is my little sister, Ema."

As if she were on cue, she quickly introduces herself too. "Nice to meet you." She smiles shyly. He smiles back, "Nice to meet you also, Ema-chan."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the pubescent boy's high-pitched voice squeaks.

"Ah! Onee-Chan, here!" Wataru shouts, shuffling through the pockets of his adorably girlish pink jacket. After a few seconds of rushing through his pocket, the young boy grabs out two lollipops; one pineapple flavoured and the other, blueberry.

"Oh, Wataru, you still haven't given them yet?" Masaomi comments, looking down at the boy's outstretched, offering arms.

"Here! Have one!" Wataru gives a toothy, babyish grin, to which again, Ema squeals softly.

"Yep!" Ema giggles, charmed, and the two reach out to pick a lollipop.

"Well, if you'll excuse us..." Ayame mutters, mostly to herself.

Being her favorite, Ayame first goes for the pineapple flavor, but then upon seeing Ema's hand also going for it, a bittersweet smile charms her lips, and discreetly maneuvers towards the blueberry lollipop. Satisfied with her generous action, she lets out a small huff of self-appreciation.

Noticing Ayame's swift change of movement, Ema instantly loses her graceful smile, feeling her jaw tighten before quickly regaining her peaceful exterior.

Wearing a pretty smile, Ema looks back up to Wataru, who seemed slightly confused on the change of expression from his dear new sister.

"Thank you, Wataru-chan." She smiles prettily, completely void of the the exasperated expression from before. Shaking off his doubtful feeling, he lets go of it, completely reassured by Ema's beautiful and charming smile. Wataru grins childishly, loving the new attention and praise he was receiving from his dream sisters.

"So, shall we go meet the new brothers now?" Ayame says, openly glancing at Masaomi.

Taking the hint, Masaomi nods, giving her a small smile.

"Of course. We'll show you the way."

"We'll show you the way!" Wataru happily chants, his arms flying carelessly as he bounces back towards the residence. Amused, Ayame smiles at him, while Ema giggles in awe.

* * *

In another room, a similar situation as before was happening. "Ne, Azusa~?" A silver-haired man whines, swinging on another man's body, "Aren't they a bit late~? Like, too late?"

"You're just being impatient. It's only been twenty minutes. And stop clinging, Tsubaki. You're heavy." The bespectacled man sighs, shifting up his glasses. His twin was starting to get _really _tiring. Due to Tsubaki inability to wait, they'd come back extra early from work, so he himself wasn't in the best of moods.

Tsubaki pouts childishly, his grip on his other getting tights as his whines increase.

"But Azusa~! You don't understand~! I finally get to have little sisters, after being a good boy for 24 years!" He defends himself, baring closer to Azusa, "Yet the God of Imoutos has forbidden my sisters to yet arrive! Is this perhaps a test of fate~? A trial~?"

He pounces off Azusa and poses dramatically, bending his knees and shooting his hands up into the air, reminiscent of a power ranger.

"Don't go editing your character's lines to fit your delusions, Tsubaki. And if by causing trouble for me every day is being a 'good boy', I seriously question your definition." Azusa sighs while massaging his shoulders, feeling strained from Tsubaki's once strong grip.

"Aw~! You're so cold, Azusa~!" He suddenly gasps, covering his gape with his hands, "Did Yusuke somehow convert you? No~! I won't forgive you if you go to that virgin's side!"

Fake tears forming, the man-child returns to hug Azusa, though this time with even more strength.

"Tsu-Tsubaki! Let go, you're choking me!" Azusa gasps out, struggling to breath as his hands wrap around Tsubaki's firm arms.

"Never~! Until you promise to never go to that heretical virgin's side!" Tsubaki whines, but then suddenly tenses, looking back upon hearing some footsteps and foreign voices entering the house. Boring a hole to the upstairs, he slowly releases the death grasp, leaving Azusa gaping for air on the floor.

Hearing his twin fall to the floor,Tsubaki turns around to face Azusa with an excited yet panicky expression. "...They're here, Azusa! What should I do? Hug them~? Kiss them~? If you picked option B, where should-?"

He shortly gets interrupted by Azusa throwing a slipper at his face.

Wearing an irritated scowl, Azusa slowly rises from the ground, glaring ominously at his twin.

"How am I supposed to know, idiot? Now apologize for nearly killing me."

"Ehehe! Gomen~!"

* * *

"So, what do you want to do first? Do you want unpack, or do you want to meet the brothers first?" Masaomi asks gently, staring at his two new siblings.

Ayame smiles, being the first to reply, "I'd be glad to meet them, but," Ayame hesitates, faint pink tainting her cheeks, "Could you take me to go to the restroom first, if that's alright?"

Ayame scratches her nape, awkwardly glancing at the doctor. Wearing a carefree smile, he complies without shyness.

_Well, he is a doctor after all._

He turns to face the younger female, "And what about you, Ema-chan?"

"Ah, I'd like to meet them first." She looks up, a bit distracted from Wataru telling her stories while tugging at her beige sweater.

Gulping, Ayame remembers exactly why she was even here in the first place. She preps a polite smile.

"Oh, if that's the case, I'll go with you too. It'd be easier to meet us as a pair than individually, after all." She says, directing a friendly smile to Ema.

_Well, that's not the real reason_. Ayame thinks, a tad guilty, tad justified. She needed to check these people out before she could trust them with Ema without her.

After all, testosterone.

However, from Ema's irritated frown and crossed brows, she seems to have caught her sister red handed.

"No, it's okay, Aya-nee. You should go to the bathroom; we can catch up later, okay?" She says, her pretty smile like a hidden blade, threatening to strike. However, Ayame is not one to back off without at least a jab.

"Haha, Ema! I'm not busting, so it's fine. Plus, I want to meet them soon too." She says a white lie. She _was_ busting. Before coming, she drank a lot of tea to calm her slight nerves, and had not gone to the bathroom since last night. However, Ema catches her again, a bored look on her face.

Ayame gulps before her brows twitch slightly, irritated that Ema out of all people read her like a book. Though, she would be lying if she said she wasn't impressed with her naive sister's steady development.

"Oh, really? But I heard from Dad that your stomach..." Ema trails off, her hand to the cheek as she glances sideways with a darkened expression.

Ayame's eyes widen, wondering if she actually went into that territory.

"Uh...Ema, dear?" Ayame asks with a shaky voice, staring at Ema with unsure eyes. To her grand displeasure, she is answered back with a nervous yet daring smile.

"What about your stomach?" Masaomi suddenly chirps in, her eyes narrowing slowly as a hint of seriousness enter his usually carefree, gentle gaze.

Ayame bites her lip, a hint of red tainting her ears. Cursing silently, she gives Ema a very brief scowl. Oh how she was going to pay for this.

"If it's something serious, I think I should know. After all, it would be very bad if you have a bad stomach and we accidentally gave you food poisoning..."

A big gulp travels down her throat, feeling her palms turning sweatier. She forces a smile, trying to ward off apparent displays of her embarrassment and irritation.

"Ah...No, it's nothing serious...It was in the past, after all..." She trails off, trying to send me signals of discomfort. But, to no avail, as he misunderstands the statement and instead of letting it go -persists. His expression hardens, staring at her with a focused and concerned look. She gulps. She probably would've appreciated his concern if she actually did have a bad stomach, but now she really didn't want him intruding!

"So you _used _to have a bad stomach?"

She resists the urge to facepalm, and resorts to gritting her teeth. To think he'd be this persistent, even for a doctor.

Her stomach wasn't even bad!

It was just that a few weeks back, she had a really bad case of- of constipation. It was Yukina's fault, really. If only she didn't invite her that Thai restaurant...she knew something about the soup was fishy! It ended up with her having to go to the doctor's to...pull it out. Cue cringing here. And that was her reason for her drinking so much tea recently. Her doctor recommended drinking tea, as it was a natural laxative, thus why she drinks so vigorously- to avoid the experience from happening ever again.

It was the most embarrassing moment of her life, and no way was she going to reveal that to someone she just met and in front of a kid who was going to look up to her as a sister figure. Hell, she only told her Ema because she was drunk. And then she yapped her mouth to the doctor- of all brothers- and now she was in this mess.

"Ah...no. Not really." She mutters, glancing down to the floor. Hearing muffled snorts, she looks up, witnessing Ema's expression mixed with guilt and great amusement. She glares at her discreetly, swearing revenge for later.

"Does onee-chan have a bad stomach?" Wataru suddenly speaks up, looking up at her with watery jewels. "Will...onee-chan die if she eats bad food?"

"No, no, no! Don't worry, Wataru-kun. I don't have a bad stomach at all!" Ayame tries to coax him, only to hear a certain girl whisper something along the lines of, "...I wonder about that." She looks like she can't take it anymore, no longer looking guilty, so Ayame glares at her, this time not so discreet.

"So...onee-chan won't die?" He looks up at her, droplets of tears no longer smudging his innocent eyes. "Yep! So don't cry, anymore okay?" She begs him, and he looks very relieved, to which Ema looks awed but amused at the same time. "But then...why did Ema Onee-chan say something about your stomach?" The young boy wonders innocently, staring into her almond eyes with a childlike wonder.

She gulps, realizing her battle has not yet come to an end. But she had run out of MP, and her HP bar is in the red zone. She realizes that she cannot leave this battle unscathed, so she takes the only other option. The option the strategist had planned for her at the start.

Run away.

"I'll go to the bathroom, after all. I actually drank a lot of water this morning so I'm _busting._ I'll be going now, okay? See you there, _Ema_." Ayame spits her name with hidden spite, and smiles at her with forced friendliness.

Her eyes seemed to say, _'...You _will_ have a talk to later, young lady.'_

As if she read her mind, Ema chuckles cutely as she greets Ayame off. "Okay!"

"Wait, I'll take you ther-" The doctor tries to offer but she desperately brushes him off. After all, It would be really embarrassing if he asked questions about how her stomach was feeling, or if she really didn't have a weak stomach while she was on the toilet. "No, it's fine. I'm sure I'll get there in time. Bye!" She rushes out of the scene.

"...But didn't she just say she was busting?" He quizzically wonders.

"Who knows? She can be a bit weird at times." Ema chuckles.

* * *

"...I can't believe I lost the battle." Ayame curses her lily-livered self, and sits down on the toilet.

_Why did I even I come here?_

Ayame sighs. She couldn't believe that Ema threatened her with constipation. Who even does that? Sure, even if cat came out of the bag, Masaomi was a doctor, and he most likely would have had taken it professionally -but then there was Wataru.

She shivers, rubbing her shuddering arms. Her pride and honor as a newly established sister figure would've crumbled, and surely Ema knew that. In the last two years or so she was in university, Ema had certainly gotten more cunning. She sighs. She really didn't know whether to rejoice or grimace for her future.

Shaking her head, she pulls up her jeans and walks up to the sink.

As she rinses her hands blankly, she notices her purse lie motionlessly on the counter- the same one she threw when she entered. She furrows her brows deeply, creating folds. A thought passes by her, causing her body to tense. As her hands freeze in place, the water runs uselessly on her now clean palms.

She glances to the side, and gulps.

..._No. _

She waits a couple of seconds before turning back. Spotting the handbag just _lay_, not _move_, she whips her head to the side yet again, the wall suddenly seeming very interesting. Taking a big gulp, she hesitantly turns back.

To her stupid and unrealistic expectation- it was still there. She cringes. Her purse- her purse which_ contained_ a certain _squirrel_.

Cue panic mode.

_Juli!_

She hastily scrambles towards the purse, her breaths turning increasingly more ragged and uneven.

_Why isn't he moving? Is he dead? Have I killed my sister's pet on the first day of meeting her in years? _

Her breathing turns ragged as the negative thoughts invade and mercilessly attack her state of being. Noticing her uneven breath, she squeezes her chest, trying to even out her breathing.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, she coaxes herself with comforting thoughts and words.

_No, no...Ayame...Calm yourself down. It was only a few minutes- he can't be, can't be-_

_...dead._

She gulps, her clasp on her chest tightening. She glances back at the purse with fleeting eyes, before taking a shaky inhale of determination.

First things first, she needed to confirm. After that, she would evaluate the situation and act accordingly. If he really turns out..._dead_, then she'll tell Ema that he ran away and then personally dispose of the body. She was a biology student, that wasn't too bad.

...Though Ema would be grief-stricken.

With her complexion paling by the second, she hastily shakes the thought off, trying to pep talk herself. If he turned out alive, she would pretend nothing happened. Yes, that will do. After all, the only ones who knew of her current situation were herself, and Juli, a squirrel. Nobody would ever find out.

With short breaths, she shakily unzips her purse with quivering lips. Shortly, a glimpse of gray greets her, bared teeth soon thereafter. She squeals as the furball flies at her face, assaulting her with miniature punches.

Well, at least it wasn't the claws.

Juli then drops to the ground, his head whipping side to side as he scours the area.

"Chi! Chi chuuu!"He squeaks, looking distressed as he bobs side to side. He then looks up at Ayame's face, fuming.

_"Ayame, I can't believe you let Chi into the den of wolves, especially in their mating season! I can't even begin to express my immense disappointment in you, young lady! And I thought you were the smarter of the two, yet you let yourself threatened by hardened poop! Poop, dammit! And how dare you throw me into a suffocating burrow, deprived of light! I nearly ran out of oxygen, fool!"_

"Chi chi chiiiii! Chi chi! Chiiii!"

He is mad. Very mad. Though who could blame him? She herself wouldn't have any of it if she were tossed away in a tiny little purse either.

Relieved tears form in her eyes as she picks up the squirrel, bringing him close to her chest.

"Juli! Auntie's so sorry to leave you in such a scary place! I promise to give you your favorite macadamia nuts, okay? Oh, I'm so glad you're okay, otherwise Ema would've..."

Much to her disappointment, her bribery only causes his rage to escalate, his tiny paws thrown into the air, flipping his claw, which was eerily similar to the rude finger.

_"Like hell I give a damn about nuts right now! Chi is in danger, fool! Chi...I must protect her!"_

"Chiiiiiiii! Chi chu, chi! Chi...chaaa!"

He scurries towards the door, squeaking orders at her. He points at the door, tapping his foot like a madman.

"Okay, okay...You want me to open the door then?" Ayame sighs, tousling her thin black hair.

He squeaks tenaciously.

_"Obviously, you impudent fool! Just because you can't understand my words, it does not make you not being unable to interpret simple body language acceptable-"_

"Here you go then, your highness! Sheesh..." Groaning, Ayame slams open the door. Determination in his scurry, Juli instantly scurries out. Ayame leans against the door, watching the squirrel quickly run out of sight. She scratches her scalp, sighing.

"...I swear that squirrel is possessed." She sighs as leans against the door frame with crossed arms. After a few moments of self-reflection, she notes to refrain from tucking small animals in small spaces before making it her personal mission to find the ribbon-donning animal.

* * *

"Hello..." A young girl greets shyly. A man with shiny silver hair smiles slyly before reaching out, squeezing her tightly under his firm arms, leaving the brunette blushing at his touch.

"It's a 'Nice to meet you hug'~!" He explains with a cheeky grin, watching her squirm shyly between him.

"Uh...um..." She stammers out for assistance, and then notices a certain bespectacled person coming towards their way.

It was her sister.

Ayame wordlessly comes up to Tsubaki, and lightly taps him on his shoulder, leaving another glasses-sporting individual staggered, as he was preparing his per usual punch.

"Aya-nee..." Ema says, a bit surprised but still relieved by her sister's perfect timing.

"What about me?" Ayame smoothly questions with a tender smile. For a moment, Tsubaki is taken aback by her sudden appearance, but quickly gains his composure, returning to his usual cheerful and flirtatious personality.

"Ah, sorry~! Then, if you'll excuse me-" His blissful attempt is thwarted by a bespectacled man, as the new appearance comes up and punches him on the head, seemingly without restraint.

"Sorry about Tsubaki. I'm Azusa. Please take care of me." The man now known as Azusa says.

"Ah, not at all..." Ema politely says, and then shortly introduces Ayame. "This is my older sister, Ayame."

"Nice to meet you." Ayame politely smiles, then goes down to Tsubaki. "Are you okay?" She offers her hand out to him, leaving him shell-shocked.

"Azusa...Somebody actually offered to help me after your abuse! This is a miracle-no- rather, you're an angel, Ayame-chan~!" Tsubaki curtly jumps up and hugs Ayame in a tight embrace.

"E-excuse me..." Ayame tries to push him away, but her attempts fail.

"Ah! But I mustn't discriminate! After all, you're _both_ my adorable little sisters~! Now, come into Onii-chan's embrace, Ema-chan!" Tsubaki loosens one of his arms suggestively, trying to prompt Ema into coming over. However, instead of Ema's tight embrace, he is greeted by an unknown entity's furry of attacks.

"Juli!" Ema yelps, as Tsubaki writhes in pain.

"Tsubaki!" Azusa panics by the sudden appearance of a never-before-seen animal's presence in the house.

"Juli! Stop that immediately!" Ayame swiftly swipes Juli from Tsubaki's face. "That's it, young mister! You are _definitely _not getting any nuts for a whole week, let alone the extra-special ones!"

Ayame traps Juli in her hand and starts scolding him, while Ema goes hastily down to Tsubaki.

"Are you okay? Don't worry, he doesn't have any diseases!" Ema worriedly stares deeply into Tsubaki's violet eyes.

"Ema-chan..." Tsubaki says with warm affection.

Ema, mistaking this for a plea for help, reaches out her hand.

"Yes? Do you feel dizzy or-" She is interrupted by Tsubaki's sudden hug. "Ah..." She gasps.

"Ema-Chan's such an angel also~! I'm so moved to have such caring sisters~!" He shouts out in adoration.

"Kiiiii!" The feral squirrel muffles out as he attempts to escape from Ayame's tight clasp.

"Juli! Stop being such a bother!" Ayame struggles to keep Juli in her hands, so she considers the purse. "If you don't stop -I'd hate to do to it but- I'll put you in the purse again!"

Miraculously, as if he understood, he stops screeching and moving about.

_Phew!_

"Now, Tsubaki-san, I'd prefer for you to let Ema go. I can't guarantee your safety if you continue, after all." Ayame hints at her hands.

"Ehh~?" Tsubaki whines, but reluctantly lets her go anyway. "Fine~! But I'll be expecting _lots _of skinship later, okay Ema-chan, Ayame-chan?" He winks at her suggestively, but Ayame ignores his pass at her, while Ema blushes heavily.

"So, I've noticed but you two look really alike. Are you perhaps twins?" Ayame says, turning her focus to Azusa.

"Ah! Ayame-chan, you're trying to change the subject~! You're so mean~!" Tsubaki pouts.

"Yeah, sorry."

"Geez!" He pouts again, but then spinning around with a big grin, "But yeah, you're right. We're identical twins. Don't we look similar~?" He puts his elbow on Azusa's shoulder, a teasing tone to his voice.

"You two, I've been listening for a while but you're being too abrasive. You'll scare our new sisters." Another man, rolling over some tea, says. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Ukyo. I work as a lawyer."

"...Though it was mostly Tsubaki." Azusa faintly whispers, not enough for Ema or the newly introduced brother to hear, but just enough for Ayame and Tsubaki.

"Hey, Azusa~! I heard that~!" Tsubaki pouts.

"Whatever do you mean?" Azusa teases, seemingly enjoying himself.

Ukyo ignores them and focuses his attention on the two girls.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Ayame, and this is my younger sister Ema." Ayame shifts Ukyo's attention onto Ema.

"Ah, um...Please take care of us from now on." Ema politely bows. Tsubaki and Azusa's bickering seems to have come to an end, as Tsubaki comes up to the girls and hugs them again.

"Yeah, please do~!" He says.

_Not this again_, Ayame sighs, just about tired from Tsubaki's constant attempts at hugs.

"Ah...um..." Ema stutters awkwardly, her bravado from earlier seemed to have melted. Just as Ayame tries to speak up for the both of them, a hoarse voice loudly rings through the house.

"Ah, Tsuba-nii! What are you doing- inside the house?"

Everybody looks up, and see a crimson-haired young boy that appears to be around Ema's age

"Ah, Yusuke, welcome home~!" Tsubaki energetically greets, leaving the two girls to come to the conclusion that this red head was one of their new brothers also.

"It's not 'Welcome home~!'. Bringing home girls in the living room is-"

However, the new brother stops speaking as soon as he looks closer at the girls' faces.

Well, to be specific, Ema's.

"Wait..." He stammers, looking significantly shocked.

"Ah..." Ema gasps.

_Does she know him?_ Ayame wonders, and soon gets her answer.

"Ah! W-wh-wh! You!" Yusuke hurriedly climbs down the stairs, doggedly but fast.

"Asahina-kun?" Ema seems confused, just like her counterpart.

"Why?"

"Ah...That's..."

"Ema, you know him?" Ayame asks, a little muddled.

"Y-yeah...He's a classmate." She whispers to Ayame.

"Oh, is that so?" Ayame says, satisfied that her question was answered.

Ukyo sighs, looking weary as he rubs his forehead. "Tsubaki, I'm sure I told you to inform Yusuke about this..."

Tsubaki looks away with a sly grin, a glimpse of mischief gleaming in his violet eyes. "He-he!"

"Tsuba-nii! You didn't tell me on purpose!" He accuses.

"On purpose? You're making me sound like a bad person in front our new sisters~!" Tsubaki then turns around to face the girls. "But you don't believe him, do you? You're not like Azusa, who betrayed me and went this virgin's side, right?"

"Oi..." Azuza says, looking a bit annoyed, as if they'd had this discussion already.

"W-wh-what do you mean by virgin, you idiot...?!" Yusuke wheezes out, looking as red as his hair.

"Eh? Yu-chan, you're not a virgin anymore~? Kyaa~! Yusuke-kun, you're so dirty~!" Tsubaki covers his face as if he were a homely maiden.

"Y-You idiot! It's not that either-..." says exasperatedly, very embarrassed. He then reflexively tries to see Ema's reaction, but instead meets eye-to-eye with Ayame.

"Hey." Ayame smiles considerately, feeling sorry for the poor boy. His face goes even redder, and Ayame is surprised that it was possible.

"...I-I won't accept it." He states, playing cool.

"Eh?" Ema breathes, a bit confused by his words.

"...My classmate can't be my sibling." He mumbles, but loud enough for Ema to hear.

"Heh~? What do you mean by saying that you're not accepting~?" Tsubaki teases Yusuke for Ema's defence, which makes a good on impression on Ayame.

"Shut up! It's got nothing to do with you!" Yusuke shouts, but only makes Tsubaki curious. The two continue to bicker, and Ayame ponders on whether to intervene, but seeing that Ema didn't seem too bothered yet, she lets it go.

However, with her nerves relaxing after seeing Ema untroubled, she loosens up her hand and Juli comes slipping out, climbing up to Ema's shoulders.

"Ah...!" Ayame gasps, feeling worried for the safety of the brothers, but is quickly assured by Ema.

"Aya-nee, it's fine now. See? He's become so docile..." Juli squeaks into Ema's ear, as if he were communicating something to her. "Ah, but it seems he's a bit upset at you...You should probably avoid putting him in dark, cramped spaces from now on." Ema smiles awkwardly.

"I'll try to work on that. Sorry, Juli."

He pouts.

"Juli-san~? Are you there?" Ayame asks again. No reply. "Ahaha...Seems like I'm hated now."

"Maybe..." Ema smiles apologetically.

"Chi...chi..." He says softly. _I just wanted to protect you guys..._

A new, silky voice enters the ears of the two girls.

_"_We finally meet, little sisters." A man wearing a Buddhist robe comes sliding down the stairs, in his hand some beads. Ayame takes him in as he slowly walks towards them, with a playful smile.

Although he appears to be a man of religion, his other..._accessories_, say otherwise. His hair is dyed blonde, with his ears pierced. His manner also seems to conflict of what a virtuous monk would be, as he smoothly grabs both of their hands and kisses them softly.

"If one of you ever wants to hear some prayers, come to big brother anytime."

"Hey, Kana-nii!" Yusuke shouts, struggling to get out of Tsubaki's headlock.

Ayame was not impressed, as it was because that she was worried that people like him would be lurking around the residence that she came here in the first place, and was definitely not pleased that her gut feeling was right. She was also slightly irritated at her father who stated that all the brothers were trustworthy and would never do anything physical to Ema. She glimpses at Ema's flustered face, and sighs.

_This one is to be wary of._ Ayame thinks. But to her surprise, Kaname seems to have taken notice of her prickly watch, and not wanting to push his limits, he charitably lets go of their hands, leaving Ayame a bit taken aback but nevertheless thankful.

However, this does not seemed to be the case for the other protector of Ema, as the squirrel manoeuvres around the bodies of the girls to swiftly approach Kaname.

"Ah, a squirre-" Kaname is not given the time to finish his sentence, as Juli swipes his claw at Kaname's nose, leaving Kaname to cry out in pain.

"Chii! Kiiii!" Juli screeches violently.

_(Too bad punk, but they ain't allowed to be believers if it means that they're going to go to you to do some 'prayers'!)_

"Ooo~! I know how that feels~!" Tsubaki winces, remembering his earlier trauma of being mauled by the miniature beast. "I still remember the pain~!"

"Juli- I swear to god that I will lock you up in the cage if you can't behave for the umpteenth time!" Ayame rages at Juli, as if she were a parent ranting at her problem child.

"Chi! Chi! Chii...!" Juli squeals with such resolve as if he were a samurai protecting the bushido code.

(_Ayame...I know you will never understand, even though we are supposed to be on the page...But I don't care, I will protect you guys till the very end, from those filthy horny wolves, even if it comes to being locked inside a dark lonely cage!)_

"And now you're squealing at me. That's it; I'm putting you in a cage. Ema! Go help, um..." Ayame stops, realizing that she actually didn't know his name, other than Kana-nii, which she definitely didn't want to call him.

"Kaname." Kaname says, before tossing in a wink. "But call me Onii-chan, okay-"

"Right. Go help Kaname-san, Ema. I'll go unpack the cage." She says, already turning to leave.

Kaname half-heartedly complains at her coldness, which Ayame ignores. Ema nods, and asks for a first-aid kit, which Ukyo readily has prepared. Juli hangs his head in dissatisfaction, but lets Ayame carry him to his prison anyway.

She then whispers her apologies, and stuffs him in the purse, though this time with more care.

"Ah, if that's the case, why don't you get one of us to help you? We _do _have a lot of people, after all." Ukyo recommends, prompting Ayame to choose one of the men available to her.

"Ah, then Onii-chan will -" Tsubaki tries to put forward his help, but is interrupted by a chilling voice.

"I'll do it."

Another probable brother enters the room. Ayame looks at his direction, and is surprised to see another man next to the other one. She gets a bit confused on which brother offered, so she asks.

"...Sorry, but did you...?" She takes a gamble and asks the athletic looking male, as he might've offered because he was confident that he would be able to dodge Juli as a sportsman, in case of attack. However, she is quickly shamed as it did not turn out to be the case.

"It was me." The princely looking one answers her question. "Though, if you prefer, you can take Subaru." His wording unintentionally sounds like sarcasm, making Ayame think that he was feeling offended, even with his tranquil smile. Subaru timidly looks down on the floor, feeling a bit uncomfortable for being put on the spot.

"Ah, no! I had no such intention. Please excuse me for my rudeness." Ayame bows, but seeing the young man's quizzical expression she raises her head, feeling confused.

"What are talking about? You did nothing wrong." The young man looks genuinely mystified with a blank yet wondering look on his face.

"Oh..." Ayame mutters. _Well, this is awkward. _

However, luckily, Tsubaki unknowingly comes to her rescue as he complains about Iori taking his time to be alone with his new sister

"Iori, that's so unfair! I want to go~!" Tsubaki whines and the awkward atmosphere dissipates as if it were never there in the first place.

"Sure but...You were attacked, right? There's no guarantee that it won't attack you again." Iori calmly analyses.

Tsubaki gulps nervously. "Ahh...yeah..." He then goes over to Azusa, who was waiting expectantly. "What should I do Azusa...? I'm really scared but Ayame-chan will think I'm so uncool~!" He whispers to Azusa, but Ayame's good hearing catches this, and tries to reassure him.

"Tsubaki-san, I won't think you're uncool so don't worry. I actually think its cooler for a man to be confident enough to show his weak side. "

Tsubaki gasps loudly, and whispers into Azusa's ear again. "She heard me, Azusa~! What do I do~? What do I do~?"

Azusa sighs, "Just let Iori take her. It's not like it matters anyway."

"Noo~! If you don't take the flag, you won't be able to get the good ending~! I expected better of you, Azusa!" He lectures him, this time out loud.

"Sigh..." Azusa heaves a sigh. Tsubaki continues his lecture about how important it is to never miss events in dating sims, and Azusa retorts with reality.

Ayame stares at their bickering absentmindedly, and Iori notices this.

"...Should we go now?" He smiles at her like a gentleman, and for a bit she is frozen. Before, she was a bit unnerved with the mess with Juli so she didn't really get to focus her attention on him fully but he had really gorgeous features. Smooth skin, pupils like jewels, silky grey hair, and tender-looking lips-

"...Is there something on my face?" He asks uneasily, finally showing an expression other than tranquillity. Ayame snaps out of her trance, and realizes that she had been staring at his face this whole time. She forcibly burrows her temptation to blush bright red, and calmly replies.

"Yeah, there's leaves on your head." Thankfully, he actually did have leaves on his head. For god knows why, but she was bloody thankful.

"Oh, thank you." Iori gracefully smiles, and attempts to grab the leaves out of his hair, but struggles. His cheeks, though faint, had a tint of pink due to his inability to get the leaves out, and Ayame feels her gut drop out of captivation. Ayame, though very determined not to get in an embarrassing situation like that again, can't hold back her motherly instincts, and offers to grab it.

"Here, I'll get it." She says, then reaching her hand out to grab it, touching his hair in the process. His hair was much softer than she expected, which was a lot, and flinched at the touch. However, thinking how lame it would be if she said that 'she flinched because his hair was really soft', she quickly gains poise.

"Thank you." He smiles, lowering his head a bit so that she could reach.

During her mission to get the leaves out, she felt Iori's gaze on her become very soft and tender. She starts to panic inside her head, and accidentally locks eyes with Iori, causing her to blush for a millisecond, who smiles at her tenderly. She then came to the realization.

His face was so very her type.

_Crap._

Burrowing her flush, she hastily gets the leaves, receiving a beautiful smile and gracious words- much to her complexion's dismay. Coughing rather awkwardly, she brushes off his thanks and prepares to leave, Iori following suit.

Even as she departs the room, Ayame never notices the concerned facial expression of a certain monk.

* * *

"Is this it?" Iori asks, twisting his body to meet eye to eye with his new sister.

They were in Ema's room, looking through the boxes to find the squirrel cage. The boxes were all open, with quite a few belongings thrown carelessly on the floor. Ayame made a note to self to help Ema put away her things later.

"Yep, that's it! Thanks for your help, Iori." Ayame earnestly thanks him, earning a smile from the boy.

"It was nothing."

Ayame then proceeds to set up the cage, leaving Iori in the corner with nothing to do. So, out of boredom and curiosity, Iori uncharacteristically grabs Ayame's purse and takes a peek inside.

He is greeted by the squirrel, with a deadly presence. His eyes were gleaming bright inside the bag threateningly. Iori gasps, and quickly zips the bag. The sudden noise alerts Ayame, and snaps her out of her zone.

"Is everything alright?" She asks, a bit surprised by Iori's sudden movement.

However, she is greeted by Iori's usual smile, princely as ever. "No, nothing at all. Is there anything wrong?"

"Hm...I thought I heard something." Ayame replies.

"Maybe you hallucinated. Are you perhaps stressed? I mean, it was very sudden to move in with 13 men, after all. Plus, the squir..." Iori immediately ceases his words, sensing a deadly aura seeping from her purse. He gulps quietly. It was almost as if the squirrel understood the human language. "-Plus, the moving details must have been very bothersome to deal with." The deadly presence, though still there, mostly dissipates.

He was safe, for now.

"No, I think I'm fine. I had a friend involved in the moving industry help me with the details...but, maybe you're right..." Ayame then turns her focus back to setting up the cage. "After all, I originally wasn't going to move in."

This peaks Iori's interest, as he never heard of this detail before, so he decides to continue the small talk.

"Oh, really? Then why did you move in?" He asks, curious. After all, if he were a girl and had the option of moving in with 13 men, he would definitely turn it down.

"Ema." Her curt reply surprises Iori, who expected her to speak in detail, as she seems to be that type of person.

"I see. Ema's that girl with the side pony, right? I would be worried too if I heard that my little sister was going to move in with 13 men."

"Yeah, I was pretty fearful. My only sister was going into a den of wolves, after all-" She then stops, realizing that her true thoughts were seeping out in the open. She whips her head around. "I'm very sorry, that was very rude of me. I had no right to insult your family like that-" However, she freezes upon seeing Iori, completely calm, with his usual smile intact- no, rather, with an interested expression.

"Eh? Ah, don't worry. I'm not offended, it's just it's the first time somebody said it straight to my face, so it was nice to hear someone's honest opinion. Thank you." Iori assures her with a serene smile, as if he were truly thankful that she said what was on her mind. "Plus, it's not like you're completely inaccurate. After all, there are some people in this household who are willing to cross the line. Like Tsubaki nii-san, who has a thing for little sisters."

"Yeah...I could tell." Ayame thinks back to the earlier events, and remembers a certain man. "Ah! Also, Kaname! He's also dangerous, I reckon-" She stops her sentence upon seeing Iori's usual smiling face turn dark and ice cold.

"Ah, sorry. Was I mistaken? No, even so, that was rude of me-"

"No. You're completely correct. You should be very wary of Kaname. I'm glad that you have a very good gut-instinct." He chuckles.

On the outside, his coldness seemed to have thawed but Ayame could tell. Iori was still ice cold upon the mention of Kaname. Her gut feeling told her something very crucial. Never mention a word about Kaname to Iori.

She thinks of things to change the subject with, but fails. However, Iori seems to sense her discomfort, smiles sadly and changes the subject.

"Oh yeah." He melts the tense mood with a simple word. "The, 'I had no right to insult your family like that', statement?"

"Yes?" Ayame replied, returning her focus to the cage.

"I think that it should be 'our'. Not 'your'." Iori smiles his gentle smile, leaving Ayame to feel very much relaxed. "We're family after all. Ah, though not officially yet."

Though not visible to Iori, Ayame smiles widely, very happy with his kind words.

"Thank you, Iori."

Iori feels himself very pleased, until he hears the next line.

"Ema would be very happy to hear that."

"Eh? Ah...but-" He tries to tell her something.

"What is it?" She says, as if there were nothing strange with what she said.

"...Nothing." Iori smiles.

"Oh, Iori. I'm finished." She moves out of the way to show him the very well put together cage. "Voila!"

"It's very well done. Sorry that I couldn't help much." He smiles apologetically.

"What are you saying? You helped out a lot with the packing. Thanks a bunch, Iori-kun."

He's a bit surprised by his sudden upgrade (or perhaps downgrade), but smiles nevertheless.

"You're very welcome, Ayame nee-san."

Ayame blinks in surprise but smiles appreciatively anyway.

"Now, let's get Juli in there." She says in a matter-of-fact way. Iori remembers the frightening encounter with the squirrel and sweat drops down his face.

"Ah...I think I might go outside. I'm not implying that he definitely will attack me, but just to be careful, I'll go. I wouldn't want to cause you to be even being more stressed, after all. Oh, but I'll be waiting for you outside the door. I wouldn't want you to get lost because of me, after all." Iori kindly suggests, to which Ayame has no complaints about.

"Yeah, thank you."

Iori silently excuses himself, leaving. He leans against the door, and remembers the words that he failed to say.

"...But those words were for you." He silently whispers.

"Iori, do you need something?" Ayame shouts from inside the room. Iori, not knowing about Ayame's deadly hearing, jumps at her words.

"No, nothing at all." He says to Ayame.

"Okay." She lets him off, concentrating on Juli.

_...I'll avoid saying things that I don't want to be heard in front of her. _

* * *

During the events of Ayame and Iori, Ema and the brothers were all huddled on the coach, relaxing.

Ema tugs on her sleeves, feeling a little sick. This cautions Masaomi, being the family doctor.

"Is this room...cold?" He asks, concerned for her health.

Ema, not wanting to worry her newly obtained family, lies through her teeth.

"Ah, no. I'm fine."

She actually feels like her head is banging, and feels like fainting. She actually felt quite unwell this morning, but didn't have a choice so she just suck it up and moved on. It was the day where she would reunite with her dear sister again and meet her new family, and she definitely didn't want to delay it.

Masaomi notices her pale expression, but seeing as she would just brush it off, he decides to observe for a little longer.

"Actually, it'd be the opposite, since so many people are gathered here together. " Kaname says relaxedly, casually wrapping his arm around the coach.

"Ah, not at all. Also, I'm sorry for what Juli did earlier. He usually isn't like that." Ema apologizes for her squirrel's earlier behaviour, but is casually excused by Kaname and Tsubaki.

"It's fine, completely fine. Since it's my little sisters' pet, I'll have to spoil it too."

"Yep, yep~ ! Don't worry, don't worry~! Plus, Ayame-Chan's getting our revenge anyway~!" Tsubaki cheerfully comments, "But still, those two are pretty late. I wonder what's taking them so long."

At this, Kaname's expression uncharacteristically goes dark but is quickly replaced by his usual flirty behaviour.

"Maybe Iori's getting lucky~!" Kaname cheers, "He _did _offer to help her...Maybe he's right about confessing."

"Ah, I don't think that's possible. Nee-san's never paid attention to confessions. She always says that she needs to focus on her studies. And the reason she's taking so long is probably because the cage needs to be set up first." Ema says seriously, leaving Kaname a bit surprised.

"Imouto-Chan's so serious. It was a joke, a joke~!" Kaname tells her, then chuckling.

"Oh..." She turns red, feeling stupid.

Wataru suddenly interjects, sensing his new older sister's discomfort.

"Kaname! Stop bullying Onee-chan!" Wataru pouts at Kaname, and clings on to Ema's arm.

"Ah, gomen, gomen Wataru. I just couldn't help it " Kaname half-seriously apologizes; amused by his youngest brother's attempt to play Prince.

"Hmph!" Wataru still pouts, playing cool in front of Ema. He then stares into her eyes and smiles brightly. "I'm so glad I got new sisters! Let's go play in my room when Ayame Onee-chan comes back! I have a big rabbit toy!"

Masaomi, considering Ema's complexion, butts in. "Wataru, leave that for tomorrow. Your new sisters are definitely tired from meeting all of us, so be patient okay?"

"Okayy~!" Wataru reluctantly agrees. Ema wonders if she should protest for Wataru, but thinking about her sister and her own current health, she lets it go.

"I was thinking that we should wait for Ayame first, but seeing as she is probably not going to come until later I think we should speed up the process." Ukyo starts a new conversation.

"Okay~" Everyone agrees.

"There are still others; two are living separately, and the other two are at work." He explains efficiently.

"One of them is there." Kaname interrupts, turning the TV on. Ema wonders why in the world he would say that, genuinely worried for his mental health.

On the channel is the teenage pop idol sensation, Asakura Fuuto. Ema is unusually clueless about recent popular celebrities, as she often watched period dramas with her Father when she was young thus having no interest in recent fads, but Asakura Fuuto was an exception. Her best friend, Mahoko, was a big fan and would rave about him and his new songs, so she actually knew a lot about him.

"It's Fuutan!" Wataru happily exclaims, leaving Ema confused by his cute nickname for the teenage sensation. Could it be this family was a fan of him?

"Fuutan?"

"What a fake smile..." Tsubaki says with disgust.

_Guess not. _

"A tour?" Subaru comments, leaving Ema surprised as he didn't contribute anything to their previous conversation.

_Could he also be a fan? _Ema thinks, perplexed. He didn't look like the type that would like idols, let alone the boys. But like her father always says, 'Never judge a book by its cover.'

"He's in Hokkaido..." Yusuke says with discontent, similar to Tsubaki's. _He even knows where he is?_ Ema is feeling very confused. He didn't seem to be a die-hard fan, by the tone in his voice.

"Then let's ask Kanikawa Eel for a souvenir, then." Ukyo says, as if asking a pop star for a souvenir was the most natural thing to do. Ema's confusion hurt her head even more, so she decides to speak up, to cease this madness.

"Souvenir?" She speaks up, voicing her confusion.

"Fuuto is our brother." Masaomi explains quickly, as if were on cue. "Asakura is his stage name. His real name is Asahina Fuuto, 15 years old. "

"Eh? It's like a lie..." She voices her shock. Boy was Mahoko going to be shocked.

They continue to watch the screen, and Ema observes her new siblings, until she meets the eyes of Subaru, who immediately looks away, and then quickly gets winked at by Kaname. She looks away, embarrassed by his forwardness, and a bit worried by Subaru's reaction.

_What is going to happen from now on? _

Suddenly, a great wave of dizziness comes over her body, and her eyes become blurry. She succumbs to the suddenness, and closes her eyes.

Masaomi immediately takes notice and asks her if she's alright. "Is there something wrong?"

"Ah, no, I was just feeling a little dizzy..." She says, with a little white lie. It wasn't just 'a little'. She feels worse and puts her hand against her forehead, and loses control of her body. She bumps her hand on the table for support, and successfully avoids falling face down.

Her brothers gasp at her sudden faint, but to Ema, she hears only one voice.

"Ema...?!" Her sister calls out, running down the stairwell where she emerged from. Iori follows after her.

_Aya...nee _

She gives in to the pain, and faints.

"Ema!"


	3. Chapter 2: Night Sky

_A little girl is in bed, breathing heavily. She could hear the sound of the pot steaming from the kitchen. Another girl, around fifteen, enters the room with a weary smile. The girl then rests her loving hand on the other girl's burning forehead. _

_"Ema, you really outdid yourself this time." Her sister says, sighing. Ema tries her hardest to focus her hearing, but fatigue prevents her. "You might need to go to hospital at this rate."_

_"Onee-chan...What about your entrance exam? Isn't it today?" A young Ema worriedly asks. Ayame shakes her head. _

_"Don't worry. Your health is much more important to me than anything. I don't care about an exam or two." Ayame tries to reassure her with a bright smile, but to no avail. _

_Ema tears up, feeling pathetic. "I'm so sorry...I know how much you wanted to go to Bright Centrair...but now you might have to go to a local school because of me..." _

_Ayame frowns disapprovingly at Ema." Ema, don't blame yourself. If you're going to blame someone, blame Dad. After all, if he weren't slacking off in a foreign country we wouldn't even be in this mess." _

_Ema glares daggers at her, no longer crying. "Don't insult Dad." She sulks, covering her entire body with the covers. _

_"Ahh~ don't do that, Ema! Your fever will rise! I'm sorry for being mean to Dad, okay?" Ayame anxiously begs her sister to stop, but her only reply being a pout. _

_Ayame then climbs into the bed and starts to tickle her little sister. "Take that!" She shouts. Ema laughs unwillingly, but then eventually starts to cough uncontrollably, making Ayame panic. _

_"Ema? Are you okay? Oh- I'm so sorry- I didn't-" Ayame profusely apologizes, but is stopped by her sister. _

_"I...cough, choked on my spit." Ema explains. _

_Ayame exhales, looking as if her life was shortened by a few years. "Phew...You gave me a fright, there." _

_Ema, upon seeing her sister's fast pace of emotions, chuckles. _

_"Hey, what are you laughing at, young lady?" Ayame jokingly scolds, huffing. Ema giggles even more. "That's it, sweet cheeks. Take this, hug attack!" Ayame then swiftly tackles Ema, though still holding back against the ill girl. Ema giggles hysterically, and weakly tries to push her off. Eventually, the two of them run out of energy, and rest on the futon. _

_"Nee, Onee-chan?" Ema tries to gets her sister's attention. _

_"Hm...?" Ayame mumbles, puffing. _

_"Are you sure you're okay with not being able to go to Bright Centrair? You did study your but off, after all..." Ema wonders sadly. To Ema's surprise, her sister doesn't reply immediately as usual, so she comes to her own conclusion. _

_"I knew it, I'm so sorry-" _

_"No." Ayame replies. _

_"Eh...?" _

_"Actually, I feel quite disappointed that I can't go. After all, I did study my hardest for this, like you said. But you know what? I definitely would've regretted it more so than if I went then stayed, Ema." Ayame smiles reassuringly. Upon realizing that her sister was being completely honest, Ema felt teary. A crystal tear drops down her cheek, then another, and another. _

_"Hey, what are you crying for? Does something hurt?" Ayame jumps up. _

_"...Nope, nothing at all!" She starts giggling, creeping out her sister. _

_"...I'm starting to see the resemblance between you and Dad." _

_"Yay!" Ema pumps her fists into the air. _

_"Hey, that wasn't necessarily a compliment, you know..." _

_"I know, I know!" Ema smiles, and soon drifts off to sleep in together with her dear sister._

"...Ema?" A familiar voice resonates throughout her head, destroying her distant memory. Ema awakens from her dream, mumbling her sister's name.

"Mm..." Ema moans, her head still feeling heavy, but better. She opens her eyes to the presence of her sister and three of her new brothers. Ayame sympathetically caresses her hand.

"How are you feeling? Does your head hurt?" Masaomi asks.

"What...happened?" Ema asks, accidentally leaving Masaomi hanging. However, Masaomi doesn't take any offense and gently explains.

"You suddenly fainted when we we're watching T.V. Kaname and I carried you here. "

"Oh..." Her gaze lazily wonders to Kaname, who in turn winks at her, causing her to slightly blush.

"Geez, you gave me a fright. I'm gone for one second and you're fainting out of nowhere." Ayame sighs irritably, but contrastingly slides her hand lovingly through Ema's fringe.

Ema frowns, feeling quite guilty for worrying her sister and new siblings. "I'm sorry for worrying you...But I feel better now. Sorry."

"Hey now, you don't exactly need to apologize, you know..." Ayame says, feeling bad for unintentionally making her out to be the sinner.

"It's exactly as Ayame-Chan says, Imouto-Chan. You don't need to say sorry." Kaname says reassuringly.

"I'm sorry...Ah." Ema realizes that she just contradicted herself, earning a face palm from Ayame. "Oh lord..."

Ema laughs awkwardly.

"Well, in the worst case scenario, we do have a physician." Ukyo chirps in.

"A paediatrician, though. But tell me if you do need anything." Masaomi requests of Ema, which she agrees to do.

"Thank you very much, but I'm feeling quite alright now." Ema tries to assure Masaomi, but is doubted by Ayame.

"I wonder about that." Ayame says, thinking about all the times she's faked healthy. Ema laughs nervously, trying to shrug off her sister's hawk eye.

A certain squirrel then cheeps up.

(You must be tired...You took care of all the moving details, and you didn't sleep enough last night, after all.)

"Chi...Chi, chi." Juli squeaks dejectedly from inside his cage, which makes Ayame frown in guilt. "Sorry Juli, but I can't let you out around the brothers, okay?"

"That must have been difficult for you." A new, kind voice says, surprising the two girls and Juli. They look at the door, witnessing a gorgeous man with beautiful silky long hair with soft features peeking out from the door. Ayame wonders what he means, and thinks that he maybe was sympathizing with the squirrel.

"Oh, so you were home?" Ukyo concludes casually.

The young man nods. "Yes. I heard a voice speaking, so I came."

Kaname pipes up, "We mentioned him earlier, the eighth son, Louis."

Ayame tilts her head, as she wasn't there during their discussion. Ema slowly raises her body upwards, with the assistance of Ayame. She notices her attire, and shamefully excuses herself. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm still dressed like this..."

Louis walks towards the bed, and slowly crouches down next to Ayame. "It's not Chi-Chan's fault."

Ayame and Juli both tilt their heads in confusion, although for vaguely different reasons.

"You did all the preparations yourself, and were surrounded by people you just met. You must have been tired." Louis empathises with her. Ayame scrunches her eyebrows in puzzlement. She had not heard of this at all, and if it were perhaps true, she was prepared to give her father a lashing.

"Eh...?" Ema gasps, as if he were psychic.

"Ema, is that true?" Ayame immediately intervenes, wanting to know the truth of this matter. Ema gulps, realizing what kind of situation she has gotten her father in. "Um, maybe...?"

Ayame shoots up, and Ema grumbles, knowing that she was out for the hunt. Her father's selfishness had pushed her limits too far, and he had better be ready to handle the consequences. "I have had it with that man! I'm going to call him right now! Masaomi-san, where's the home phone-" Ayame tries to leave the room but is stopped by Louis' hand, gently stroking her long, silky hair.

"Um, excuse me?" Ayame wavers, surprised by the man's eccentric actions.

"You...have such beautiful hair. It would, be a shame, if you went bald from stress, so...Would you like to relax, so that I can arrange, your hair, whenever I want? Ah, of course, Chi-Chan too." He genuinely asks of her, looking at her with pure, innocent mesmerisation. The strange thing was that he wasn't trying to be disdainful; but just genuinely not wanting her to go bald, which alienated him from Ayame's eyes. Ayame hears Kaname chuckle in the corner, but is too distracted from this man's strange words that she cannot afford to call him out on it.

Ukyo rubs his temples. "I'm sorry for his peculiar behaviour, Ayame-san. Louis is a hairdresser. He usually experiments with our hair, but he's probably very happy that he finally gets a female test subject with long hair, such as yours."

"Ah...I see." Ayame says in wonderment, relieved that she received a somewhat acceptable explanation for his outlandish behaviour. She then thinks about a certain pretty boy's hair, and comes up with a suitable conclusion as to why his hair was so magnificently soft. Ayame then instead looks at Louis once more in admiration, rather than alienation.

He smiles softly at her. "So...Can I arrange, your hair, sometime?"

"Oh, of course. But...if you can, could you also perhaps, give me treatment?" She asks a bit bashfully, thinking about a certain brother's soft locks.

"Eh...? But, you don't need it..." He says, while twirling her silky hair around his fingers, making Ayame feel a tiny bit uncomfortable.

"It'd be nice." She persists, surprising Ema, as she thought her sister wasn't the type to go too crazy about her hair.

"Okay..." Louis softly says, and then lets her hair go, gravity flicking her lock into a twist. "Well, I'm going to bed now...Goodnight."

"Oh, already? What about dinner?" Ukyo questions.

"Yeah, I had a long day." Louis yawns slowly, as if to emphasise his point. "Plus...I don't really have an appetite right now."

This peaks Masaomi's attention. "Now, Louis. At least eat a little snack before going to bed, okay? I don't want you to destroy your health." He lectures, and Louis nods without complaint.

"Goodnight..." He says softly, before departing the room.

"Ah, Louis, hold the door. I'm going to make dinner. If you want, I can you make a little snack before bed?" Ukyo offers while going towards the door. Louis ponders for a while. "Then...Tiramisu cake?"

"_Dinner." _Ukyo says irritably.

"Castella?" Louis wonders. Ukyo sighs in defeat. "Will pudding do?" Louis nods.

Masaomi chuckles, and then remembers about Ema's condition. "Oh, Ema. How do feel when you sit up?" He questions. Ema wonders for a while, and notices that she felt quite a bit better after the entry of Louis.

"I feel better, but I still feel a bit uneasy." Ema honestly answers, earning a smile from both Ayame and Masaomi.

"I see. I think that if you have some medicine you should feel better. I'll go grab some fever medicine for you. I think that today's dinner should be porridge."

Ema gulps upon hearing this, and this doesn't go unnoticed by Ayame.

"...Ema?" She whispers. Ema nods.

"Um, actually, I don't think I have a fever..." Ema awkwardly states. Masaomi's lips turns into a mysterious smile. "And why do you think that?" He questions.

Ema glances at the remaining brothers. "Um...It's a bit embarrassing to say..." Her cheeks turn pink. The brothers, though do not know her sickness, immediately understand and excuse themselves from the room, excluding Masaomi.

"Excuse us." Ukyo shuts the door politely.

"So, do you want to tell me?" He smiles an all-knowing smile.

"By your face, it seems like you already know..." Ema shyly says. Ayame has no idea what they were they talking about, so she speaks up.

"Ema, what is it?" Ayame asks with a serious face.

"W-well..." She says timidly, "...Anaemia?"

"_Anaemia?" _Ayame confusedly says, "What's so embarrassing about that...? Wait, how did you even-"

"-I think rather than the thing itself, it's rather the cause that's embarrassing." Masaomi sympathetically smiles at Ema.

"What do you mean?" Ayame asks, quite confused by his vague answer. Ema shyly covers up her face and whispers something so softly that not even Ayame's deadly hearing could catch. "What?" She says, going closer to Ema.

Ema whispers again, this time a bit more loudly. "...My period. It's really heavy."

"...Oh." Ayame utters, a bit taken aback by her answer. "...Yeah. That is embarrassing." She sympathises with her. Ema then hides shyly under sheets, mumbling.

"But, shouldn't it of been at least preventable if you ate foods high in iron?" She wonders. Ema gulps nervously.

"Ema-chan~?" Ayame rises her pitch threateningly. "What have you had for the past few weeks?"

She hesitates for a while, and then innocently peeks out from her covers. "C-cup noodles...?" Ayame mercilessly karate chops Ema's head, earning a grunt from the younger female.

"Ow!" Ema groans, covering her forehead.

"It's not 'Ow'! Let alone lacking in iron, you're lacking in everything!" Ayame scolds her younger sibling in disapproval.

"N-not carbohydrates, though..." Ema protests silently, but instead earns another chop from her sister. "Ow...!"

"I thought that you liked cooking! What happened to that?" Ayame asks her sister, bewildered by her very unhealthy diet.

"I...couldn't be bothered?" Ema mutters, and then receives another chop to the forehead. "Ow! Aya-nee, would you stop that?"

"Not unless you promise to not slack off on your diet, especially if you're having a heavy period!" Ayame yells out loudly, leaving a very flustered Ema. "H-hey! Don't yell it out..." Ema panics.

"Promise me and I'll stop!" She yells out loud again.

"Okay, okay! Just be quiet..." Ema whispers, nervously peeking at the door while covering Ayame's mouth with her hands.

Masaomi smiles warmly at this sight, as the two girls were very formal during their introductions. He hopes that one day he would be able to see them act like this with his brothers, and silently exits the room without notice.

* * *

Time passes, and Ayame and Ema were now together in the sheets, engaging in idle conversation. This familiar feeling makes Ema remember a certain dream.

"Hey, Aya-nee..." Ema says.

"Yeah?" Ayame mumbles, feeling tired from all the stressing events that happened in one day.

"Do you remember the day when you skipped your high school entrance exam to take care of me?" Ema wonders. Ayame tilts her head in slight confusion, but then remembers the distant memory.

"Ah, yeah. Something like that did happen, didn't it?" Ayame says lightly, feeling a bit nostalgic. Ema twists her body around to meet her sister's. "It's not just, 'something like that did happen, didn't it?' It was a very important day to me." Ema pouts disapprovingly, upset that her sister nearly forgot the precious events.

Ayame ponders. "Why? Because I skipped the exams to take care of your fever?" She questions. Ema shakes her head, and looks up to the ceiling. "...Because it was the first day that you didn't lie about your feelings."

Ayame freezes at her unexpected answer. "...I see."

"Aya-nee...Why do you hold back for me?" Ema asks in a sad voice. Seeing where this was going, Ayame tries to change the subject. "Ema, are you starting to feel hungry? I'll go down to check on the food-" She tries to get off the bed, but is stopped by Ema's tight clasp on her hand.

"Onee-chan, don't try to change the subject." She says. Ema calling her 'Onee-chan' stunned Ayame, as she hadn't called her so ever since she entered high school. Ayame gives up, and plumps herself back onto the bed. Seeing that her sister was now in the mood to at least hear her out, she starts telling what was on her mind.

"On that day...When you didn't hold back for me, I felt truly happy. But for some reason, when you went to high school, you suddenly reverted to holding back, letting me be the star of the show." Ema says, letting her thoughts roam free. "Even today, you let me take the lollipop...and changed your mind about the toilet, even as you were busting."

"Ema, those don't count." Ayame interrupts.

"How so?" Ema slightly raises her voice, feeling irritated with her sister's interruption.

Ayame sighs, "They're too-"

"Little?" Ema finishes off her sentence. Ayame nods. "I know. They're small. But it still doesn't mean they don't exist." Ema says. Ayame looks down darkly.

"Aya-nee..." Ema says, reverting to her old honorific. "You don't have to live your life around me."

Ayame immediately rejects this claim. "I'm not living my life around you. I have my entire life planned, with you not in mind." Ayame raises her voice uncharacteristically towards her sister. "I went to Shiba. A decision that separated me from you. If my life was truly solely based around you, I wouldn't of-" Ayame is cut off by Ema. "-and that was a good decision. I was happy that you decided to go there. I thought that maybe you were finally letting go, so I was relieved. But by today's events- I'm not sure that I can believe in the same way as I did a few weeks ago."

Ayame stares at Ema, her eyes wide open.

"So you were glad I was gone?" Ayame mutters sadly. Ema grabs Ayame's hand and grips it tightly, lovingly. "No. I was happy that you were letting go. Or at least I thought you were."

"I'm telling you Ema. I am not basing my life around you. As I've told you, my life is planned out-"

"Graduate college, become a successful dentist, get married, and have two children. I know. You've told me." Ema sighs, feeling tired by her sister's continuous denial. "But...I've watched you this whole time. I know who you are, probably better than yourself."

Ayame stays silent.

"...I think that this whole 'life plan' is just a farce. I think that you fabricated this ideal life goal and went to Shiba to gain an excuse to say that you are completely independent of me." Ema theorizes, Ayame grits her teeth but listens in anyway. "But you know what? I think that even after you graduate college, become a dentist, get married and have two kids, you'll still lie to me, hold back for me, and try to pity me out of your own insecurity." Ema says, killing like poison ivy.

Ayame freezes, shocked by her sister's sudden poisonous words. What did she mean by insecurity? She didn't consider herself insecure at all, at least by her own definition. She was confident. She could stand up for herself. She knew what she wanted to do in life. If somebody were to be insecure, it would be Ema-

A knock on the door disrupts their flow of thoughts.

"Ema-san? May I come in?" Ukyo says, not knowing the current battle occurring inside.

For a moment, the two of them are caught off guard. Ayame quickly tries to gain composure, and slowly gets off the bed.

"Aya-" Ema tries to call out, guilt creeping up to her, realizing her words were too harsh and too confusing for the current Ayame.

"Ema." Ayame says, with a tinge of ice. "We are _never_, having this discussion ever again. Understood?"

Ema stays silent for a while, but reluctantly obeys. "...Yes." She says, looking down darkly.

Ayame opens the door, and greets Ukyo with a tacked on smile. Ukyo looks worriedly upon his new sister. She looks very tense and tired out, and to top it all off, Ema looks extremely guilty. He ponders on whether he should ask what was going on, but his thoughts are cut short by Ayame.

"Is that her dinner?" Ayame points at the dish he is holding. Ukyo is taken off guard, and replies without poise, unlike he usually does. "Huh? O-oh, yes."

"Hm..." Ayame says, already looking natural. "It looks very delicious. Good for you, Ema." Ayame twirls her body around to lock eyes with Ema, and smiles. At first glance, it would seem like a natural one, but Ema could tell. Her sister was definitely forcing herself.

However, Ema, not wanting to make a scene in front of Ukyo, plays along. "...Yes, it does look very delicious. Thank you, Ukyo-san." She smiles, though not as well-hidden as Ayame's.

Ukyo notices Ema's forced smile, and frowns. "...Ayame-san, would you like to join us downstairs for dinner?" He offers, thinking of the current situation. Ayame, as she was planning to escape to her chambers, refuses his offer. "Ah- no thank you. I'm feeling quite tired, so I'll go to my room. Thank you for the offer though."

Ukyo frowns yet again, as well as Ema, but he lets her off regardless, seeing no point into forcing her.

"Very well, I understand. Would you like me to escort you to your room, though?" Ukyo kindly offers, and this time, surprisingly receives a yes. "Yes, thank you. I would appreciate that." Ayame accepts his offers, seeing no harm done. Ukyo nods, and at the same time secretly takes a peek at Ema. She looks very sad, almost depressingly.

He shakes off his tempt to ask what happened. He carefully walks towards Ema, not wanting to spill her food. Ayame stays at the door, not looking their way.

He places the food carefully on Ema's end table, giving her a small smile. Ema returns it politely. "Hopefully it is to your taste." He comments, not just wanting his actions to be all about the weird mood surrounding the two girls. "Ah, no. It looks very nice." Ema says politely. Ukyo nods his head, and walks towards the door.

"Then, if you'll excuse us. Goodnight, Miss Ema." Ukyo proceeds to close the door, but then suddenly stops. "Ah, I almost forgot. If you wish to take a bath, please use the 5th floors. The one in your room is broken." He informs her. Ema nods, taking in the information.

"Now, goodnight." Ukyo says while widening the door, so that Ayame could go through. Ukyo silently closes the door, leaving Ema alone, with the only other presence being Juli.

"...Goodnight." She says intentionally too late, not directed at Ukyo.

Ema sighs deeply. She felt stupid, even more so than ever.

Perhaps it was too soon. Perhaps she picked the wrong day.

Guilt pangs at her.

What was she thinking? She had gotten too impatient. Today was not the day to discuss. Her sister definitely was stressed. She had to meet a bunch of new people, whom she now had to call her family from now on. Juli assaulted two of them, which gravely distressed her. Ema had fainted out of nowhere, being diagnosed as having anaemia. And to pile up her stress even more, confront her about her trauma and insecurities?

Her expression turns dark. Juli, who was silent the whole time, speaks up.

"Chi...Don't blame yourself." Juli says sadly.

"Then who is to blame...? My sister? Who is stressed? Who isn't ready?" Ema morosely replies.

"Nobody. There's no one to blame at all." He replies darkly, looking down. Ema says nothing, staying silent.

She thinks about her sister.

Ema feels teary. A crystal tear drops down her cheek, then another, and another...Until she completely breaks down.

"Chi..." Juli cries worriedly from the cage, wanting to comfort her, but can't. He sits there, until her tears eventually come to an end.

* * *

Ukyo goes down the stairs with a frown. He had just escorted Ayame to her room, and was left alone to ponder about the events.

He sighs deeply.

It was strange. Bizarre, even. What could happen in just 30 minutes of leaving them alone? Especially to such sisters who seemed very close to each other.

Ukyo continues to contemplate, but gives up, finding no appropriate answer.

He enters the dining, and is bombarded questions by his nine brothers.

"How is she feeling?" Azusa asks.

"Nee, nee~ did she have a fever or what~? Onii-chan's super worried!" Tsubaki whines.

"Kyo-tan, what do you think I should give Onee-chan for a get-well present?"

"Your virginity " Kaname answers jokingly, winking at the pure Wataru.

"What's a virgi-" Wataru tries to ask what that is, but is stopped by a panicking Masaomi.

Ukyo becomes very irritated by the continuous questioning of the brothers, and yells at them to shut up.

"_Shut up!" _He rages.

The brothers flinch by his sudden temper, and immediately go quiet. Ukyo sighs, and proceeds to explain. "One. In terms of health, she's physically better. Two. I don't know, ask Masaomi nii-san. Three. I think that as long as it's appropriate, she'll be fine with anything. Four. Wataru, you'll know when you are older." Ukyo explains efficiently, leaving the brothers to ponder about his strange answers.

"Nee~? Masa-nii, what does she have?" Tsubaki wonders curiously. Masaomi gulps. "Sorry, Tsubaki. Patient's privacy." He laughs nervously, which just makes Tsubaki even more curious.

"Wait, more importantly what do you mean by physically better?" Yusuke anxiously asks, worried for his 'classmate'. Ukyo sighs with a frown. Seeing this, Tsubaki stops pestering Masaomi and focuses his attention to Ukyo, much to Masaomi's relief.

"Yeah, what did you mean by that?" Tsubaki says, uncharacteristically serious. Everybody turns their focus to Ukyo.

"Well..." He sighs, "It appears that she had a fight with Ayame-san."

This peaks everybody's concern, as they could tell that the two girls were closer to each other than the average sibling.

"What? But they seemed pretty close..." Azusa wondered, as did everybody else. Masaomi speaks up, "That's strange...just before I left, they seemed to be fine."

"I don't think it was something simple. They both seemed very distressed, as if they fought over a fragile subject..." Ukyo says. Wataru comes to Ukyo, tugging his vest. "Nee, Kyo-tan...Do Ayame Onee-Chan and Ema Onee-Chan hate each other?"

Ukyo smiles at the young boy, and reassuringly pats his head. "No, Wataru. I'm sure they love each other very much."

Wataru looks down. "Un..."

Suddenly, an unexpected brother speaks up.

"Where...is Ayame?" Iori asks out of the blue, which surprises everybody, as he was silent the whole time. Ukyo looks at his brother, who was wearing a mysterious expression. "Ah, she's in her room." He answers promptly, but then frowns. "She said that didn't feel like eating today, and was very tired."

"Oh..." Iori says, then looking down with that same mysterious expression.

"This...seems pretty big." A certain red-head mumbles.

"Do you think we should get involved?" Tsubaki wonders.

Kaname shakes his head. "No, I think they need to solve it themselves. Plus, we don't even know what's wrong."

Tsubaki agrees, as does everyone else. Ukyo sighs. "Well, I guess we should start eating."

Everyone sits down on the chairs, and start to eat. The mood first is solemn and awkward, but gradually turns into the usual calming family atmosphere.

"Ah, Wataru! You spilt your soup again." Ukyo scolds, then proceeding to clean up his mess.

"...Sorry Kyo-tan." Wataru half-heartedly apologizes, distracted by the T.V.

"Wataru, look at me when you-"

Seeing as all the brothers were distracted, a certain brother gets up quietly, sneakily goes into the kitchen, coming out with some sort of food, and then walks up the stairs silently without notice.

* * *

Ayame was on her bed, sulking, thinking about all the events that happened earlier. She remembers Ema's pained face, and feels a pang of remorse.

She exhales deeply.

She wants to go apologize, but her pride doesn't allow her, as it would be the same as admitting that she did have issues, which she definitely didn't have.

Or at least, she believed so.

Ayame wonders if what Ema said was really correct, and that she really was insecure and using Ema to cover up her patch. As she delves in deeper, but she starts to get irritable, and rejects the idea completely.

By definition, she was not insecure. And that is the way it will stay.

Suddenly, there is knock on the door. Ayame freezes.

_Could it be Ema?_

Ayame hesitates on what to do- on what to say. However, her panicky thoughts are soon put to rest, as the knocker's voice speaks up.

"...Ayame nee-san?" Iori says.

Ayame is surprised by his presence, but then sadly goes to think that there were no way that Ema would come, after hurting her feelings.

"...Are you there?"

She then realizes that she was leaving him hanging, and hastily replies. "Oh- I'm coming!"

She then opens the door slowly, and is greeted by Iori's tranquil smile.

"Hi," He says, and then holds up two packs of pudding. "Do you want to have some pudding?"

Ayame stares at him, dumbfounded.

"Pudding?" She looks at him in confusion. He looks at her apologetically. "Sorry, should I of gotten something else?"

"Oh, no. I do like pudding but...Why?" She asks him. He smiles at her, mysteriously. "I wanted to eat pudding with you."

"Oh...Strange request."

"Do you...still not have an appetite?" Iori asks, with puppy-dog eyes. Ayame's gut drops, as she did earlier in the afternoon.

"...I'm fine now." She says, captured with his beautiful face. He sighs softly, seemingly relieved.

"Okay then. Let's go." He smiles, turning his back on a confused Ayame.

"We're going somewhere?" Ayame questions him.

He looks back at her mysteriously. "Yep, to have a pudding picnic."

Ayame just looks at him quizzically, but he just smiles his signature smile and offers out his hand.

After a few moments of hesitation, she takes it.

* * *

"Where are we going?" She asks for the umpteenth time, though knowing fully that she probably wouldn't get her answer.

"Somewhere." Was always his answer, and this time was no different.

She sighs. They had been walking around for twenty minutes, perhaps aimlessly. Ayame was starting to believe that Iori was lost, however uncharacteristic that may be of him.

"Iori-kun..." Ayame exhales deeply, and Iori turns around to look in her eye. "Yes?" He says with a charming smile.

"Let me be frank. I think you're lost." She says straightforwardly, but is surprised when he starts to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" She asks, confused by his reaction. He then reverts to his usual smile. "Nothing." He says, cryptic as usual. Ayame sighs, and lets him off, seeing no point in persisting.

They continue their walk in silence for another five or so minutes, until Iori suddenly stops. Ayame looks at him curiously.

"We're here." He informs her. Ayame looks around. They were in front of a simple riverbed. It was nothing unique, so she feels a bit disappointed as she thought that he was taking her somewhere special. However, not wanting to be rude, she doesn't word her disappointment out loud.

Suddenly, he holds her hand and guides her slowly down the hill, making Ayame have the urge to blush. When they reach a good spot, Iori gently lets go of her hand, and lies down on the grass, breathing out.

He then prompts her to lie down too, which she does, though albeit unenthusiastic.

However, her apathetic self quickly turns into one of amazement, as she gazes at the beautiful night sky.

"Surprised?" Iori says expectantly.

"…Yeah, wow..." Ayame says in wonder, however, her admiration is cut short by the loud grumbling of her stomach. At first, Iori just looks at her blankly, but then starts to chuckle quietly.

"…Please pretend that never happened." Ayame grumbles in embarrassment, face palming herself.

"Okay." He obeys submissively, though looking somewhat amused. "But…I can still offer you pudding, right?"

"You may." She allows, as she was quite peckish.

"Then…" He starts, "Ayame nee-san, would you like some pudding?"

"Yes, thank you."

He opens the pudding for her and then passes her the sweet goodness along with a disposable spoon.

She thanks him, and indulges in her meal. "Itadakimasu."

Iori then opens his pudding and says his formalities also.

"Itadakimasu."

They eat their pudding in silence, gazing at the beautiful night sky in peace. As Ayame's thoughts wonder, her curiosity turns to Iori.

"…Aren't you going to ask?" She says, turning her face towards Iori, who is gazing silently into the night sky.

"Not unless you want to talk about it." He says, smiling his tranquil smile. "…Do you?" He asks quietly.

Ayame fixes her gaze to the sky. "Maybe. I don't know."

"Okay." He says understandingly. Ayame, seeing that he wasn't planning to pry any further, sighs.

"You know, I think that you should be a bit more assertive." She advises him. Iori blinks at her. "Really? I never thought of that before."

She then giggles softly, as she was expecting that answer. Iori looks at her, and smiles. Ayame notices this, and stares at him in silence.

"...Hey, Iori-kun?"

"Yes?" He replies.

"Why?" She asks, eyes full of wonder, staring at him. He continues to gaze at the sky, "Could you clarify?"

"Why…are you comforting me? And go all the way to take me here?" She asks, now back to stargazing. "I mean, we've literally only known each other for around four hours- and don't use 'We're a family' as an excuse." She says.

Iori stays silent, and then speaks an obscure answer. "…Because you're sad. Therefore, I comfort you."

"…I feel like that isn't really a valid answer, but I'll let you off." She sighs. _I'll probably never get a straightforward answer from him in my lifetime. _

"Sorry." He smiles at her apologetically. She stares at him, and doesn't stop, making Iori uncomfortable.

"…Is something wrong?"

"I had a fight with Ema." She blurts out abruptly, surprising Iori. She smiles mysteriously. "What? You asked me what was wrong, right?"

"…Yes. Yes I did." He says, smiling just as mysteriously as she. Ayame quietly laughs, triumphant, but then suddenly looks saddened. "…She said a lot stuff." She says vaguely. Iori waits patiently.

"...It seems I'm not as strong as I think I am." She sighs.

Iori replies. "I think we all do."

Ayame smiles a small smile. Encouraged by his reassuring self, she continues, and spills the beans.

"She said I was insecure, and clinging on to her to use her as a patch." She says, and he nods, showing that he is listening. "Which I don't think I am…but then again, that's what people in denial say, don't they?"

He nods again, listening to her rant.

"…Hey, Iori-kun, do you think I'm in denial?" Ayame asks, almost pleadingly. Iori ponders for awhile. "…Well, I've only known you for four hours, so I can't really tell."

Ayame, taking this as a joke that mocked what she said earlier, lightly hits Iori on the shoulder. However, unlike she expected him to react, Iori looks extremely confused, his eyes questioning why she hit him.

"I'm…sorry." He instead apologizes, digging his curiosity inside.

"…I thought you were joking." Ayame explains for the poor boy anyway. However, that instead perplexes Iori's logical train of thoughts even further.

"But we really have only known each other for four hours." Iori looks at her, as if she were a very complex puzzle.

"…That was my bad. Sorry for hitting you." She apologizes, while sighing.

_Note to self: Iori will probably never joke. Everything he says is probable to be true. _She notes mentally, considering this to be important information.

"Never." He politely says, smiling. They then go silent, though not an awkward one.

Out of the blue, Iori speaks up. "I think…you should put aside your worries about being insecure or not for awhile. After all, you don't seem very ready to face them, even if you indeed are."

Ayame nods, considering his advice.

"But in the mean time, you should go mend your relationship with Ema."

"…That's the thing. I feel like that if I apologize, I'll be admitting defeat." Ayame says sadly.

"I don't think you'll be admitting defeat, but rather making up with your sister." Iori says comfortingly.

"…Good one." She compliments him.

"Thank you." He accepts her praise humbly. Ayame continues to think deeply.

Ema or her pride.

Unexpectedly, she picks easily. Something that wouldn't of had been possible if not for Iori's words, or comforting presence. Ayame stands up slowly, stretching her arms.

Iori looks at her, and smiles. "…Ready?"

She then turns around to face him, and smiles in pure gratitude.

"Yes. Thank you." She then offers out her hand, the moon in the background. Iori takes it, and they begin their journey home.


	4. Chapter 3: Teases

Ema suddenly awakes, for unknown reasons. She rustles in her bed, frustrated that she awoke at night. She rubs her eyes, and nearly falls over upon seeing the unfamiliar room, but then remembers that she just moved in with her new siblings.

Her heart dances in excitement at the thought of living with all these new family members, but then remembers something upon touching her wet pillow, damp from her tears she shed.

Ayame. She had to go apologize to her.

Ema hurriedly gets up, and dashes towards the door. However, she doggedly stops upon hearing rustling from outside the door.

_Could it be Aya-nee?_

She hesitates for a bit, but decides to just go for it, and bursts upon the door.

"Aya-nee, I-!" However, she is not greeted by her warm sister's voice, but rather, the sultry, deep voice of an adult man.

Kaname was on the floor, groaning. It appears that the door bumped against his nose as she burst open the door. Ema gasps, and hurriedly tries to help the poor man, but is brushed off gently.

"Don't worry, Ema-chan. Onii-chan's alright as you can see." He smiles at her gently, but his statement contradicts with his bleeding nose. Ema bows apologetically as Kaname gets on his feet.

"I'm so sorry, Kaname-san! I didn't mean to-" She is interrupted by Kaname.

"Its fine, its fine. But…if you still feel like apologizing, call me Onii-chan. It's more satisfying that way." He winks at her, while rolling the tray of offerings into the room.

Ema blushes, but hesitantly calls him that anyway, feeling bad for hurting him. "O-Onii-chan…" She stutters nervously, but gets praised immensely.

"That's good, that's good. One more time~" He teases, enjoying himself quite a bit. Ema swallows her urge to curl into a ball, and listens to his request without complaint. "Onii-chan…"

Kaname hums in satisfaction, seemingly in ecstasy. Ema questions his motives, and starts to feel very uncomfortable. Kaname then changes the subject, possibly sensing her discomfort. "Do you think you'll be able to sleep?"

"Ah, yes. Probably." She replies politely, though in reality just wanting this conversation to end so that she could go to her sister already.

However, Kaname's flirtatious behaviour returns. "Should Onii-chan sleep with you?" He flirtatiously jokes.

"Um, no." She immediately rejects, serious as usual.

He light-heartedly seems disappointed. "I see, too bad. But do tell me if you need anything."

_…Highly unlikely._ Ema thinks to herself, as she always felt nervous by his teasing behaviour. But, she thanks him anyway.

"Then, goodnight." Kaname then grabs her chin seductively and faces it upwards, staring deeply into her chocolate brown eyes. He then slowly pecks her on the cheek, shocking Ema.

"Mm~ Good reaction." He says teasingly, looking satisfied. Ema feels extremely embarrassed, almost humiliated. "Please don't-" Ema quickly tries to protest, but is then stopped by an alarming voice.

"-Kaname-san. What do you think you're doing?" An icy voice says, interrupting the two.

Ema immediately whips her head towards the direction of the extremely familiar voice, and is surprised to find her sister, wearing an ice cold expression. Ema's stomach goes into nervous butterflies upon seeing her sister. She freezes, not knowing what to say.

Kaname seems quite surprised by her presence, as he heard that the two were fighting. He then sighs a breath of relief, as he realizes that she probably came to make up with Ema. "Ayame-chan-" He is shortly interrupted. "Kaname-san." He freezes at her chilling voice. "Let me tell you about some guidelines I follow when it comes to someone offending Ema."

She takes a step closer.

"One: If somebody were to lightly insult Ema, I would give them a pull on their ear or a nose pinch. Depending on which one were to be easier accessible"

She takes another step closer.

_Oh no. _Ema could tell where this was going.

"Two: If they were to gravely hurt Ema's feelings, I would punch them in the face, or worse."

She takes two steps closer.

"Three: If anybody, anybody at all, were to blatantly sexually harass Ema- I'd make sure they'd never be able to get a boner ever again." Ayame says with a dark aura.

Kaname, upon realizing what kind of situation he has got himself in, attempts to run away, but instead trips over his robe, leaving his area free to be attacked.

Ayame then jabs Kaname in the balls with all her might, and repeatedly. Kaname then screams in absolute agony, his screams echoing throughout the whole house.

After a minute, Ayame finally ceases.

"…For the record, in junior high, I was the soccer club's ace." She informs him, glaring at his presence. Ayame then goes over to Ema and grips onto her shoulders firmly.

"Ema, I'm so sorry that I left you all alone to fend off that living entity of sperm! You must have been so-"

However, to Ema, she could not hear her sister's words, as relief muted her voice from her ears, only taking in the fact that her sister was back to normal.

Ema then bursts into tears, squeezing Ayame in a tight embrace.

"Ema? What's wrong?" Ayame asks, panicking from Ema's sudden outburst. With muffled cries being her only reply, she awkwardly rubs her on the back, and then glares at Kaname.

"…Don't tell me." She looks at him with pure disgust. To think that he'd step that low.

"I…didn't do anything…" Kaname whimpers from the ground, holding his crotch in pain. Ema then speaks up, feeling bad for his accusation. "Sniff…K-Kaname-san, did, nothing wrong…" Ema says through hitches and sniffles. Ayame continues to rub her back until she calms down. She continues to soothe her tears, holding her close.

"So…why the sudden outburst?" Ayame asks, while wiping a single tear, seeing that Ema had now calmed down significantly.

Ema tightens her embrace. "…Because you're not mad at me."

Ayame, finally realizing what she cried for, quickly goes to reassure her. "Obviously. Actually, it would the other way around. I'm sorry for being so harsh. That was my bad."

Ema shakes her head profusely. "No, no…It's not Aya-nee's fault. Even though you were stressed, even though you weren't ready-"

_So I'm still insecure in her book, huh?_ Ayame sighs, though somewhat proud by her sister's obstinate self.

"That's why, that's why-" Ema tearfully looks up to Ayame, but to her surprise, has her cheeks pinched.

"...It's not a lie when they say that pets look like their owners." Ayame comments silently, impressed by the resemblance.

"…Wha?" Ema says, unable to pronounce her words properly due the stretching of her face.

"I said that you don't need to say sorry." Ayame smiles, letting go of her cheeks, and then slapping them lightly. She grins. "If you do, I'll tell this perverted monk over here why you're sick."

Ema's face drops immediately, thinking back to the cause. "…Okay."

"Eh? Now you've made me curious. How are you going to take responsibility for making me feel like this, Ayame-chan?" He winks at her seductively, grinning. Ayame coolly analyses him, and smiles cutely. "Onii-chan, I'm sorry!" She says in a high-pitched voice, endearingly.

Kaname blinks, stunned, as he was expecting her to just brush him off.

"There." She then returns to normal, her business finished. She focuses her attention back to Ema, who seems just as surprised.

"...Ayame-chan's so kind, I might fall for you." Kaname says flirtatiously, back to normal.

She ignores him as if were a ghost. "More importantly, Ema, how are you feeling? Have you taken a bath yet?"

"E-eh? Ah, no. But I was thinking of taking one soon." She replies.

"Want to take one with Onii-chan?" Kaname light-heartedly offers from the wooden floor, which earns him a stomp on the crotch. "Fu-" He attempts to swear but stops midway, biting his lip, seeing how uncouth that would be in front of two ladies.

"Kaname-san…Truth be told, I don't actually enjoy hurting people, so would you just zip your lips?" Ayame sighs, practically begging the man. She didn't enjoy hurting people, and would usually only do it when she was really mad or disciplining. However, Kaname being Kaname, he replies without consideration of his own well-being. "Oh? Ayame-chan's not an S? Then, an M? How unexpected… But don't worry, Onii-chan can go either way-" His suggestive sentence gets cut off shortly by another stomp. Though this time, more mercifully on his face.

"I give up. You're hopeless." Ayame exhales, her palm to her face. She then returns to a fidgety Ema, who was wondering if she should offer the abused man a hand. "Anyways, do you want to me to take you there? I know where it is, after all." She offers.

"O-okay…" Ema accepts nervously. Ayame notices her nervousness and slaps her on the back firmly. "What are you nervous for? Relax, I won't bite. Unless you do something stupid like that failure of a monk." She assures her, smiling. Ema shakes her head. "N-no, it's not that! But rather…" Her voice then goes quieter, "…Is it really okay to just hurt people on the first day of knowing them?"

Ayame thinks to herself. "…Probably not."

"Eh?" Ema gasps, but then has Kaname put her worry to rest, in a strange way. "Ema-chan, don't worry. Rather, I think that I kind of like it. Ah! Ayame-chan, you're turning me into an M!" Kaname says half-seriously, half-jokingly. Ayame looks at him with revulsion, and walks away from the scene. "Ema, get your stuff. We're leaving."

"Ah- wait!" Ema hurriedly goes into her room to grab her stuff, and before proceeding to chase after Ayame, promptly bows to Kaname. "Well, if you'll excuse us…" She rushes off, leaving Kaname to be alone.

"Bye bye~" He says cheerfully, with a flirty smile on his chiselled and handsome face. With silence being his only company, he too turns quiet.

Or so thought.

He hears footsteps, quietly walking away. Kaname sighs.

"…Iori? I know you're there. Come to Onii-chan." He says, adding a light-hearted afterthought. Kaname gets up unhurriedly, light footsteps coming his way. Kaname looks back, and is faced by his younger brother's solemn face. Kaname smiles in a somewhat sad but loving way. "Come on now. What's with that sombre face?"

"…As if you're the one to talk." Iori whispers coldly, but loud enough for his older sibling to hear. Kaname smiles sadly at his cold tone, but shrugs it off.

The two remain in awkward silence for awhile, until one of them speaks up. "…If you have nothing to say, I'll be going." Iori says, turning on his heel. Kaname then interrupts him, firmly placing his hand on Iori's shoulder.

"Wait." Kaname asks of him. Iori stops walking, but shrugs off his touch. "What is it?" Iori asks callously.

Kaname stares deeply at the boy's rejecting back, and frowns dejectedly. "Iori…I said that we shouldn't get involved, didn't I?" He says, in a slightly scolding tone. Surprisingly, Iori turns around to face Kaname, eye-to-eye, though with a threatening gleam in his mesmerising hazel eyes.

"It worked out well in the end." He protests. Kaname shakes his head disapprovingly. "You know that's not the point I'm trying to make."

Iori stares at him. "I don't. What do you mean?"

Kaname stays silent, looking down to the ground, as if he were inferior. Iori gazes upon his brother's silent self. "...Kaname nii-san, your advice was wrong. I was correct. She felt better after she talked to me." Iori's words then turn whispery. "I…saved her."

Kaname immediately whips his head up, extremely disturbed by Iori's words. "Iori!" He shouts in unease, firmly placing his hands on Iori's lesser, but still solid shoulders. "Distance yourself from Ayame at once. She…is not her."

Iori's aura immediately darkens, making Kaname shudder. Iori then violently shakes off Kaname's now less strong grip on his shoulders.

"Don't you dare…mention _her _ever again." He whispers chillingly, grasping his hand tightly as if it were dirtied. Iori's breathing is unsteady, taking either breaths too small or too much, worrying Kaname. He wonders if he should reach out to him, but realizes that would just make him worse, Kaname looks down in shame.

Iori then walks away unsteadily, swaying. Kaname doesn't stop his unstable younger brother, and instead gazes at him forlornly until he eventually disappears from sight.

Kaname sighs melancholically. _Mission failed, huh?_

* * *

"Oh, there it is." Ayame blurts out suddenly, interrupting her enjoyable conversation with Ema. Ema separates her gaze from her sister, and looks at the bathroom door, and smiles in appreciation. "Thanks, Aya-nee."

"No problem. Well, I'll be going now. See you later." Ayame smiles back, waving. Ema nods, and proceeds to open the door, but is greeted by a sight that she had never expected.

Ema gasps loudly, and Ayame looks back in response.

"Ema? Is there something-" She cuts her sentence short, as the startling sight of a toned, naked torso meets her vision. Ayame's eyes trace up the well-built body to the face of the man.

_Subaru?_

"Are you alright?" Subaru says coolly, making Ayame come to the conclusion that he probably didn't notice the awkward predicament he was in.

"Y-y-yes. I'm sorry." Ema manages to stutter out, looking at the ground while blushing furiously.

Ayame then coughs awkwardly, making her presence clear.

"Oh, so you were here too…" Subaru comments, still not taking notice of his bare, half-naked self.

Ayame then sighs, as she was hoping he'd take notice, and decides to just tell the poor thing.

"Subaru-san…How should I say this but, you're torso is…" Ayame trails off, staring at his well-built abs.

She didn't hate them, to say the least.

At first, Subaru seems to be clueless; tilting his head, but then quickly unriddles her not so cryptic puzzle as he notices his scandalous attire. Half naked and a towel sloppily wrapped around his hips. Not the most appropriate attire around two girls, to say the least.

Subaru quickly hides himself behind the blurred glass, bashfully replying, "…M-my bad…" He mumbles, and Ema politely acknowledges his apology and excuses herself shyly, anxiously running past her sister.

"…There she goes, I guess." Ayame comments, half-attempting to diffuse the awkward atmosphere. Ayame looks at Subaru's timid form and smiles apologetically. "I'm sorry for embarrassing you. She can use my bathroom from now on, if you want."

"N-no, it's fine…" Subaru mumbles, trying not to be rude, though in reality hoping that Ema would use her sister's from this day forward.

"Is that so? Though to be honest, I'd prefer her to take my room, so that'll have to do. Any objections?" Ayame says light-heartedly, joking around. Subaru bashfully shakes his head, making Ayame chuckle a little at his awkwardness. _Is this how Kaname felt when he teased Ema? _She wonders to herself, enjoying his gauche self.

"Sorry for carrying on. Now, see you later." Ayame casually leaves the scene, finally leaving Subaru to himself.

* * *

Ayame walks out of the room, feeling somewhat satisfied with herself. Perhaps she was an S, after all. Just not physically. She ponders, and then suddenly Iori pops up in her mind. Since all she had to do was take a shower, she decides to go up to his room to thank him. After all, his room _was _just next to hers. She smiles to herself, and goes up the stairs.

After a few minutes or so, Ayame arrives at Iori's room, and knocks on his door. However, she receives no answer. Ayame wonders to herself quizzically, as she thought he'd be in his room at this time of the day.

"…Iori-kun?" She calls out to him, but is only greeted with silence.

_Maybe he's asleep?_

Seeing that as a fit answer, she heaves a disappointed sigh, and attempts to leave, but is stopped by a firm grip, grasping on her hand. Ayame looks back startledly, and is surprised to find Iori's hazel eyes staring deeply into her almond ones.

She then heaves a breath of relief. "Jeez, you scared me, Iori-kun."

Iori smiles at her apologetically. "Sorry, Ayame nee-san. I didn't mean to frighten you."

Ayame stares at him inquisitively. His smile seemed…strangely off. At first glance, his smile seemed to be the same old tranquil smile that rested upon his beautiful features, but it was different. It wasn't relaxed, and somewhat tense, as if he were desperately trying to fight off something.

Ayame's motherly instinct kicks in, and reflexively reaches out to the boy, and starts to caress his cheek, leaving a very stunned Iori.

"…Ayame nee-san?" He says with a faint blush evident on his cheeks. She continues to stroke his cheek, making him feel even more self-conscious.

"Iori-kun," She says in a soothing voice. "I'd hate to pry but, there's something bothering you, isn't there?"

Iori freezes at her frankness.

"It appears I'm right." She says, but is silently rejected by Iori.

"No, nothing's wrong at all." Iori says with a smile, gently guiding her hand off of his cheek. Though only evident for a split second, Ayame notices the cold gleam in his eyes, the same as the time she mentioned Kaname. She stays quiet, wondering if she should mention Kaname again to test his buttons. She decides against it, playing it safe.

"That's obviously a lie, but you don't need to tell if you're not feeling up for it. I'm not a meanie, after all." Ayame smiles, and goes to ruffle his feathery hair. Iori says nothing, but then smiles quietly. This time, a not forced, normal smile. Ayame sighs in relief mentally, and stops ruffling his hair.

"…So, why did you come here?" Iori questions, changing the subject. Ayame gives him a gentle smile. "To thank you." She then passes him a plastic bag, filled with candy of all sorts. Chocolate, lollipops, bubble gum…you get the gist.

Iori blinks, a little surprised by her pick of a gift. "Are you…treating me like a child?" Iori says in wonderment. The Ayame before would of definitely thought he was offended, and would of definitely apologized hastily, but Ayame has already gotten used to this boy's way of doing things.

She chuckles softly, "Yes. If you can't eat them all, you can share them with your friends at school."

Iori blinks yet again, feeling a bit gloomy that she was treating him like a kid.

"Aya-nee, I'm not that much younger than you. You're only two years older than me." Iori says with a smile, but hidden behind his gentle smile, he seems to be pouting. Ayame notices, and yet again her gut drops in adoration.

_Don't pout with that kind of face!_ Ayame has the urge to cringe in adoration at his endearing self, but forcibly stops her urge to do so, quickly regaining control. She then wonders,

_…What would it be like to tease him? _

He was sometimes like a robot, only show slight hints of emotions. Curiosity gets to her, and she tries it out.

"Iori-kun…" She says in a confident tone, though in reality was a little nervous. "Are you sulking?"

Iori blinks at her blankly. "No. Why?"

_Hm…Boring reaction. But I'll get there._

She crosses her arms, grinning. "Because you looked like you were pouting. Are you that upset that I'm treating you like I would to Wataru?"

He flinches almost imperceptibly, but a flinch is still a flinch. She grins wider, gaining confidence.

"No. Nee-san, what are you carrying on about? I'm not upset at all." Iori says with a challenging yet tender chuckle, but Ayame doesn't back down, curiosity acting as her drive.

"Hm…" She wonders with a confident grin. Ayame then reaches out her hand, patting his soft hair. "Cute." She giggles, but then stops upon seeing Iori's face, unmistakably flushing pink, and eyes, adorably looking down.

She stares at his adorable embarrassed looking face, similar to Subaru's, but even more enchanting, and gulps.

_…I want to eat him. _She thinks, but quickly reprimands herself for having such adulterous thoughts towards her new younger brother. She then notices something; she was blushing all shades of pink also.

Seeing that Iori was still staring at the ground in adorable shame, she quickly excuses herself to avoid him seeing herself like this.

"U-um, sorry for disturbing you, Iori-kun…I'll be going now." She mumbles, covering her face with her sleeve as she paces away to her bedroom, before he could stop her.

Ayame leans against her bedroom door, and exhales deeply.

_Why did he have to have to be born with such a beautiful face?_


	5. Chapter 4: Introduction of the Idol

"Good morning..." Ayame yawns as she walks down the stairs. Ukyo looks up and greets her with a soft smile. "Good morning, Ayame-san."

Ayame opens up her sleepy eyes, and spots Ukyo preparing breakfast. "Are you the only one cooking?" She asks, seeing no other presence in the kitchen.

He replies humbly. "Ah, yes. The rest are hopeless cooks, you see."

Ayame stares at him in bewilderment. "So you're cooking for eleven people?"

Ukyo chuckles softly, as he was expecting such a response. "No, not eleven. Some of the brothers don't want breakfast. Ah, how many was it again? Let me check..." Ukyo trails off the conversation as he walks over to a clipboard, with each brother's name written on.

Ayame was impressed. He was a lawyer, and Ayame knew that it was no easy job. He had to defend people of their crimes that they may or may not of have committed, and work on paperwork for hours, planning his arguments.

And to add cherry on top, he had to cook for his nine brothers, with the recent addition of two new step-sisters.

Wanting to at least lessen his burden, she enters the kitchen.

"So, what are we making today?" Ayame says while rolling up her sleeves. Ukyo looks back at her, snapping his attention away from the board. "Eh? Oh, a Japanese style breakfast..."

Ayame sighs in relief, as Japanese was her specialty. "Phew! Thank god, I'm just terrible at western cuisine..."

His eyes trail her slender form as she scampers around the kitchen, then realizes that she intends to help.

"Ah, Ayame-san! You don't need to-"

However, he gets cut off by Ayame. "Ah, Ema. Good morning." She greets the young girl, who was donning a Hinode high school uniform.

Ema smiles politely, walking down the stairs towards them. "Good morning, Aya-nee, Ukyo-san. Are you preparing breakfast? Can I help?" Ema offers kindly, to which Ayame accepts graciously, leaving Ukyo in an epiphany.

"Thanks, Ema. You've saved us. Ukyo-san was planning to cook for all of us, all alone! Can you believe it?" Ayame says exasperatedly, expressing her disbelief to her younger sister, who seems to be just as surprised.

"What? No way..." Ema breathes, impressed. "Ukyo-san, it must be very hard on you." She says sympathetically, grabbing an apron from her sister's offering hand.

"Ema-san, Ayame-san, you have no such need to-" Ukyo quickly tries to decline her of her help but gets shushed by Ayame. "Ukyo-san, shush. If you're too humble, you won't ever get married." Ayame says while setting up the rice cooker. Ukyo looks at her, stunned by her words.

_Was that the reason I don't have luck with women?_

Ema chuckles at the exchange. "That's right, Ukyo-san."

Ukyo stares at Ema, just as bewilderedly. _Even Ema-san?_

Ukyo continues to mumble to himself, focused on the subject, while the two girls start preparing the food.

* * *

Time passes, and breakfast was close to completion, with the exception of the miso soup.

"Aya-nee, which brand should I use for this...?" Ema mumbles, looking at the the labels quizzically. Ayame looks over her sister, reading the brand-name. Seeing the familiar name, she points to that one.

"Just use this one. It tastes better." She advises, while efficiently scooping the rice into the bowls.

Ukyo suddenly snaps out of his zone of placing the fish on the plates. "Ah...!" He gasps, looking a little distressed. Ayame looks at him, tilting her head at his sudden outburst. "Ukyo-san? Is there something wrong?"

"Eh? Ah...It's just that I usually don't use that brand for the miso soup, so they might not like it..." Ukyo shrinks back.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Ukyo-san!" Ema hastily apologizes, while Ayame smiles at him reassuringly. "It'll be fine. This brand tastes better. Plus, excluding Wataru, they're all adults. They can take a few changes to their breakfast."

However, contrary to her expectations, Ukyo grumbles while looking at the ground with a dissatisfied look.

_Could it be...?_ Ayame wonders to herself, and voices her assumption. "Ukyo-san, could you perhaps be-" Ukyo looks up to her curiously. "-the type of person who hates other people in their kitchen?"

He immediately flinches, giving her the answer. Ayame doesn't hold back and starts to laugh at his wife like demeanor, causing a very embarrassed Ukyo. "I see why you didn't want us in the kitchen now."

Ema immediately looks at Ukyo with an apologetic expression. "Is that true? I'm very sorry for intruding on your kitchen like that then, Ukyo-san."

Ukyo immediately goes to deny this claim, trying to reassure her."No, not at all, Ema-san! It is my personal problem, so you have no such need to feel guilty."

"You're unexpectedly cute, Ukyo-san!" Ayame teases jokingly, still laughing. Ukyo covers his face in shame, feeling embarrassed.

Suddenly, this reminds Ayame of a certain event that happened last night, causing her to stop her laughter. She remembers Iori's endearing face when she called him 'cute', and suddenly feels a pang of guilt and embarrassment for teasing him.

_Is it going to be awkward when he comes down for breakfast?_ Ayame wonders to herself, unknowingly blushing faintly.

"...Aya-nee?" Ema notices her sister's daze, and snaps her out of it.

"Eh? Oh, what is it?" Ayame says, looking down at her sister.

"The miso soup is ready." Ema says, pointing at the ready dish. Ayame smiles affectionately. "Well done."

Ema and Ayame then carefully pour the soup into the ceramic bowls equally, completing the meal.

Ayame then massages her shoulders, expressing her weariness. "Even with three people, this stuff is pretty tough. How can you do this every day?" She sighs deeply, and Ema nods, agreeing to her statement. Ukyo chuckles humbly, content that someone was finally acknowledging his hard work. "You flatter me."

Ayame politely laughs, but then stops upon hearing the sound of footsteps. She looks up to the stairs, and smiles welcomingly to the two young men, who were walking down the stairs.

"Good morning, Yusuke-kun, Subaru-san." Ayame says to the boys who were now on the ground floor. Yusuke greets timidly, not looking Ayame in the eye, but rather staring at Ema cautiously, causing Ayame to catch onto something.

_Oh? This pattern is... _Ayame thinks to herself deeply, memories of her love-related days of high school resurfacing.

"How rare for Yusuke to wake up for breakfast." Ukyo comments, with an all-knowing smile. Ayame looks at him inquisitively, and receives a mischievous smile back, which is just enough of a hint for Ayame. She then smiles back, just as cheekily, and proceeds to observe Yusuke.

Yusuke then plops down in one of the chairs, and Ema serves him his breakfast with an unknowing, polite smile. Yusuke seems to be indifferent by Ema's presence, but on closer inspection, his eyes were trailing her whenever she turned her back on him.

Though unnoticed by Yusuke, Ayame smiles somewhat playfully, seeing that perhaps spring was finally coming for her naïve younger sister.

Subaru being Subaru, he only mutters 'Sup', while staring at the ground avoidantly. Ayame frowns at his anti-social self, as being a college student was all about being sociable and creating new and exciting relationships.

Though, she couldn't really speak from experience.

Ayame took her studies very seriously, and it was rare for her to hang out with her friends, let alone partying. Majority of her day was spent studying and revising for exams that were months away from coming, a habit that was enforced in her during her childhood.

Thus, along the way, she had lost quite a number of friends from high school. But to be honest, she didn't really care that much. She still had family, no matter how absent and infuriating her father was, or how clueless and defenceless Ema was. Family was family, and she was happy to have them.

Though knowing she was being a bit of a hypocrite, she still feels he should be a bit more sociable, and firmly slaps him on the back, greeting him again.

"Good morning, Subaru-kun!" She smiles encouragingly, tossing away the polite 'san' to the more casual 'kun'.

They were the same age anyway, so why stick with the formalities?

Subaru looks at her, quite surprised, but nevertheless replies politely, though somewhat timidly. "...G-Good morning."

She smiles pleasantly, feeling satisfied with his response. Maybe there would be a day where he would greet her first, and comfortably.

Subaru then walks away to a seat, with a puzzled expression on his face, possibly pondering about her curious actions. Ayame has the urge to chuckle, but swallows it in, not wanting to attract unnecessary attention to herself or the awkward and shy Subaru. She then returns to the kitchen, going back to help Ukyo set out the food.

Soon after, a new, squeaky voice enters the scene. "Onee-chan, good morning..." Wataru mumbles sleepily, as if he just woke up. This time, Ema takes responsibility for greeting the brothers, and smiles at the cute boy, crouching down to his eye-level.

"Good morning, Wataru-chan!" Ema energetically greets. Wataru giggles childishly, looking very satisfied. "I'm so happy! So from now on, we'll eat breakfast together?"

Ema smiles at him, looking just as happy as he. "Yep! Please take care of me from now, okay?"

Ayame cheekily speaks up from the kitchen, "Me too, Wataru-kun!"

Wataru's face drops, but then immediately brightens up, looking very happy. He runs towards Ayame, and gives her a grandiose hug, nearly making her drop the plate that she was bringing to the table.

"Whoa!" She yelps, struggling to keep her balance. Ukyo scolds him from a distance, "Wataru! Stop it! You'll make Ayame-san drop the plate!"

"Onee-chan, you're not mad with Ema Onee-chan anymore? You've made up?" He says with hopeful eyes, asking a question he already knew he had the answer to. Ayame flinches, as she didn't know that he knew about their quarrel.

"Eh?" She gasps.

_Was it Ema? _

Ayame looks at her sister suspiciously, to which she replies with a quick shake of her head.

"Kyo-tan told me! He said that you two looked very upset with each other! You've made up, right?" He looks up, worry starting to appear.

_Ah. There was that option_.

Ayame looks back to Ukyo, who smiles guiltily. She smiles back reassuringly, a sign that she wasn't particularly annoyed with him. Ayame then turns her attention back to Wataru, who was wearing an anxious expression. Ayame then reaches out her hand, and ruffles his strawberry coloured hair. "Don't worry, Ema and I aren't fighting anymore. We love each other very much. Don't we, Ema?" Ayame hints at Ema, who smiles brightly.

"Yes, very!" Ema says with a bright smile, assuring Wataru. Wataru cheers loudly, but shortly gets scolded by Ukyo. He pouts, but does as he is told, holding Ayame's hand as she guides him to a seat.

Ukyo then enters the dining area, carrying another two sets of breakfast.  
Shortly, majority of the brothers arrive, including Iori. Ayame gulps nervously upon seeing him, but greets the brothers welcomingly anyway.

"Good morning, everyone." Ayame greets politely, smiling warmly. Ema quickly follows, greeting also. "Good morning."

"Good morning, my dear little sisters~!" Tsubaki, who at first was blissful, gasps upon realizing it was missing an important detail. "Ah! No, you mustn't!" He gasps, to which Azusa tilts his head. "Aya-chan, Ema-chan! Greet me as you call me Onii-chan-"

Realizing where this was going, Azusa sighs tiredly, and swiftly punches Tsubaki on the head. Tsubaki groans in pain, holding his hurting head. "Ow, Azusa! What the heck?"

Azusa ignores him without a care, and proceeds to sit down on one of the leftover chairs, greeting the two girls on the way. "Good morning. " He smiles politely.

"Ah- good morning, Azusa-san." Ema responds politely, while Ayame nods acknowledgingly with a smile. Tsubaki shortly follows, pouting; feeling unsatisfied that he did not get his way.

The next set of brothers to seat themselves down were the princely Iori and the flirtatious Kaname. Not so surprising to Ayame, they seat themselves on the opposite sides of the table.

_I guess they really are on bad terms... _Ayame thinks to herself sadly, unknowingly staring at Kaname, who was wearing a somewhat serious expression, which was rare. Kaname then notices her gaze, and grins playfully at her.

"Huh, Ayame-chan? Why are you staring at me so intently? Do you finally understand my charm, at last?" He teases her mischievously, naughtily purring his words.

"...Eh?" Ayame snaps out of her daze, finally realizing that she was staring at him deeply this whole time. She is surprised, but not wanting to show weakness in front of the annoying monk, she quickly retorts.

"How can I possibly understand something that simply does not exist? Do explain, Sir _Monk_." She replies mockingly, spitting out 'Monk' in a spiteful way.

Tsubaki gasps loudly with a devilish grin, looking very happy to see feisty sparks fly between the two.

"Oooo~! You just got burned!" Tsubaki cheers, earning a chuckle from Azusa.

"Ouch. Ayame-chan, contrary to your beliefs, I'm a very serious monk when it comes down to it." He says, frowning at her low opinion o him.

She snorts, finding his argument to be pitifully hilarious. "Spare me the jokes. You're practically the definition of irony."

Again, Tsubaki squeals in thrill at her harsh words. She walks closer to the flirty monk, with his breakfast in hand.

"Ayame-chan, you're so cold..." He sighs deeply, placing his hand to his heart.

She arrives at his seat, and just as she attempts to place the plate on the table, Kaname smoothly grabs her wrist, and easily her pulls her into his masculine structure, purring into her ear; "But it's not like I hate a feisty woman...Quite the opposite, actually..."

Just as she and Ukyo try to protest, a different voice joins the mix.

"Kaname nii-san," Iori whispers frostily, "She's doesn't like it. Let her go."

Kaname stares at Iori in silence, his naughty smile gone. He then sighs in forfeit, and lets go of Ayame's slender wrist. "Yes yes. This perverted monk is sorry, okay?" He puts up his hand in surrender, but receives no response from the boy.

Ayame, finally free from his embrace, looks towards Iori's direction. He almost looks angry- but a silent anger. Almost as if he was a beast in a cage, just waiting to be released, to wreak havoc upon those unlucky to receive his wrath.

Ayame was getting dangerous vibes from Iori, which she did not appreciate. She shakes off her gut feeling, and tries to rationalize. Now was not the moment to think, but rather the moment to extract revenge.  
Ayame then grabs the cup of water that was placed on the plate, and dunks it on Kaname's head.

"Do you feel cleansed from your adulterous thoughts now, you perverted monk?" She whispers harshly, then grabbing the collar of his monk attire. "Don't tell me I haven't warned you. I don't like being a bitch, but do something of that sort to me -let alone Ema- and things _will_ get nasty, real soon. Don't underestimate me, 'monk'."

Kaname blinks at her, very stunned by her change of demeanour, including everybody else, except Tsubaki, who was laughing his ass off.

"Hahahahahaha! Ayame-chan, this is bad! You just might become my favourite!" Tsubaki continues to laugh like a madman, crying joyful tears. Azusa, who was next to him, starts to chuckle too, though was trying his best not to.

"Thank you, Tsubaki-san, but we ought to know that favouritism is bad, so please try to treat us equally, okay? Ema would get lonely. Now let's eat breakfast..." She smiles at him graciously. Ema flinches at being mentioned.

"Roger!" Tsubaki salutes her with a wide smile. Ayame then grabs Kaname's breakfast and places it at Iori's table, surprising the two men.

"This is an additional punishment. No breakfast for you, mister. But I'm sure you can take it. You are a very serious Buddhist monk after all, aren't you? I'm sure that a monk like you would surely be able to skip a few breakfasts." She says, with a hint of sarcasm. Kaname whistles, impressed with her feistiness. "As you wish, madam." He says sarcastically, getting up from his chair, and then climbing up the stairs.

"Where are you going, Kaname?" Ukyo questions, looking at the man in the heavens. Kaname looks back with a grin, "To get dressed. I can't work with wet clothes, after all." He shows off his damp robe, earning a nod of approval from Ukyo.

Ayame gulps, suddenly feeling very guilty. Perhaps she overreacted. Well, thinking rationally, she did overreact.

It wasn't like he kissed her or anything, just a slight tease. Maybe her bias caused her to react to violently to Kaname. She hated flirts ever since she was a child, especially if they done it for the heck of it, and Kaname was no exception to her hatred.

Her guilt creeps up slowly on her exterior, as she looks up at Kaname guiltily. Kaname notices her expression, and smiles all knowingly. "Ayame-chan? What's wrong? Feeling guilty? Then can you help Onii-chan change-" He attempts to tease, but is disrupted by somebody suddenly placing a hand on his shoulder.  
Surprised, Kaname takes a peak back, and sees Masaomi looking at him disapprovingly.

"Kaname. Give it a break now, okay?" Masaomi says with a sigh, slightly scoldingly. Kaname then freely forfeits, knowing better not to irritate his brother dearest.

"Yes, yes." Kaname says. Masaomi smiles satisfied, bringing out a lollipop out of nowhere.  
"Good boy. Here." Masaomi forcibly gives the reluctant Kaname the lollipop. "Masa-nii, I'm twenty-seven now you know..." Kaname says, looking a little embarrassed, surprising Ayame.

_So even he gets embarrassed?_

"You're still very much a child to me, Kaname." Masaomi smiles warmly. Kaname awkwardly rubs the back of his neck, and excuses himself.

Masaomi chuckles at his departing brother, and goes down into the dining.

"Masaomi nii-san, I thought you weren't having any breakfast?" Ukyo inquires, as he remembered that he was marked off the clipboard. Masaomi laughs shyly, "I was thinking of sleeping in, but I just couldn't endure my hunger..."

Ukyo sighs, "Oh well, you can just eat Kaname's share. Ah, Iori, do want your one or do you not care?"

Ayame then immediately looks at Iori, who seemed to be thinking. Thinking about his bad relationship with Kaname, Ayame feels a tinge guilty that she forced what was once Kaname's meal onto Iori, and assures him that it was okay to say that he wanted to swap.

"Iori, I'm sorry that I pushed that pervert's meal on you. You can just eat your own if you want, okay?" She apologizes, making her stance on this clear.

He smiles politely. "No, it's fine. You made it. That's all that matters."  
Ayame blinks at his frankness, as do his other brothers.

"O-okay..." Ayame manages to mumble, feeling a little shy with his words. "But it wasn't all me. You know that, right?"

He keeps his tranquil smile. "I know."  
"Well, if it's okay with you..." She says, then seating herself next to him, and unbeknownst to her, making him feel quite warm inside.

"Then that settles it. I'll grab your food then, Nii-san." Ukyo says promptly, going into the kitchen. Masaomi thanks him, and seats himself next to an excitable Wataru.

They soon start hungrily devouring the food, as waiting made their appetites grow. Wataru takes a sip of his miso soup, and wonders at the difference.

"Wah, Kyo-tan!" He excitedly shouts.  
"What is it?" Ukyo asks calmly, eating his rice.

"Did you change something in the soup? It tastes so much better than before!" He shouts out loudly, admiring the taste.

Tsubaki, curious on what the youngest was carrying on about, tastes it. He then gasps in surprise at how delicious it was. "Whoa, it is! It has more, how should I say it? Oomph? Yeah, oomph!"

Ukyo looks desolately at the brothers, as each once tastes it out of curiosity, then praising the soup.

"...Eh?" Ukyo mutters, looking very saddened.

_Whoops_... Ayame and Ema guiltily look down, not mentioning a word about their involvement with the soup.

* * *

After twenty or so minutes, the whole family is done with eating breakfast, with the high school section of siblings ready to leave for school.

"Then, we'll be going." Ema says, promptly bowing. Beside her was the uninterested-looking Yusuke, and beside him, the princely Iori.

"Have a good time at school." Ayame replies, locking eyes with her sister. Ema smiles, and then walks out of the dining, following after Yusuke. Iori is the last one to leave, and before walking out, he too says his goodbyes.

"See you later, Aya-nee." He smiles his usual beautiful smile, which Ayame forcibly made herself to adjust to.

See you." She says, smiling back. He smiles politely, and exits the dining.  
She observes his uniform, and thinks to herself.

_Bright Centrair, huh? If I went there, I guess I would've been his senior..._

She smiles to herself, thinking about all these possible events that might've happened if she was his senior. Perhaps they would've been friends. Perhaps they wouldn't of have even known each other.

Ayame then realizes the time, noticing that she didn't hurry, she would be late.

She rushes off to her room to take a quick shower, then shortly leaving for for a day of attending boring lectures while taking copious amounts of notes.

Ayame enters the gate of her university, as do hundreds of college girls, who were socializing and laughing with their friends.

Ayame then suddenly remembers that her professor had insistently pushed a book onto her, and she had promised her professor to return the book by today. Ayame silently curses, wondering if she had remembered to put in the book. She stops in her tracks curtly, and rummages through her tote bag for the book.

The sound of heavy footsteps pacing towards her at an amazing speedenters her ears, but is too focused on her hunt to notice, even with her good hearing.

Just as she finds the book, she is abruptly interrupted by a feminine figure, jumping at her.

"Aya-chan, you traitor~!" An attractive girl around Ayame's age shouts out loudly, gaining the attention of nearby bystanders. "How dare you abandon me!" The girl cries, hugging on to her tightly.

Ayame struggles to maintain balance by the sudden tackle, but quickly regains her dominance by scolding the familiar girl.

"Yukina, let _go!_" She demands, trying to strip Yukina from her body, but to no avail. The strawberry-blonde girl looks up to Ayame with clingy tears, refusing to let go. "Meanie. You left me without even telling me."

Ayame grunts irritably, annoyed by the free-spirited girl's persistent skinship. "I did tell you, but you weren't caring enough to listen. As always."

Yukina defends herself quickly, pouting. "You should know that I don't listen to anything when I'm in the zone! You should've told me another time!" Yukina refers to her habit of ignoring the outside world whenever she was making art. She finally loosens up her embrace, but still too tight for Ayame to wriggle out.

"Well, maybe if you were actually home for once, then I could've told you. But no, you're too busy sucking off guys." Ayame retorts harshly

Yukina laughs proudly, not in the least ashamed of the disturbed stares she was receiving from strangers.

"You're just jealous, you virgin." She puts her hand on her hips smugly, finally releasing her former roommate.

Ayame coolly replies, "Of what? AIDS? Unwanted pregnancies?"

Yukina snickers smugly. "No, silly! The pleasures...the feeling of being touched and embraced ever so passionately by another human being. The fire, the heat, the sexual fervour...and most importantly...the _orgasms_." She purrs seductively. To express herself even more passionately, Yukina embraces herself tightly, showing off her curvy figure.

Ayame looks at her with a disturbed look, expressing her distaste for the sexually confident girl's passionate and erotic speech.

"Still the sex-obsessed pervert, I see." Ayame comments while adjusting the uncomfortable strap of her bag.

Yukina grins mischievously, "Don't worry. I don't expect you to understand something you haven't experienced before."

Ayame ignores Yukina's sly comment, and proceeds to walk off to class without her. Yukina, not wanting to be left by herself, quickly paces after Ayame.

"Ah, wait up!" She yells, then pouncing onto Ayame's slender arm. Ayame grumbles in dissatisfaction, but lets her cling anyway, leaving a very satisfied Yukina.

The two continue to walk in silence, with the exception of Yukina's cheerful humming. Yukina then thinks up a topic of discussion, and happily shares it. "Hey, you moved in because Rin-chan remarried, right? How's your step-mum?"

Ayame thinks to herself, then realizing that she hadn't technically met her new mother, but rather only talked to her through a brief skype call. "Oh, actually, I've only talked to her through skype yet, but she seems nice."

Yukina tilts her head at this comment. "Wait, you live with her, right?"

Ayame sighs, as she had already explained this to the girl, although she may of have been not listening. "No, I don't live with them. They moved to enjoy a happy 'marriage life', as said in my Dad's words. Me and Ema live separately from them."

Yukina gets even more confused by this fact. "Eh? Then there wasn't any meaning to your move?"  
"Yukina...I told you," She sighs, preparing herself for her reaction "I've got thirteen new step-brothers now. I moved in because I was worried for Ema, remember?"

At first, Yukina freezes in shock, but then quickly breaks out in an excited cheer.

"What? Thirteen? No way! Way to go, step-mum! Are they legal? Are they good-looking? Thirteen brothers, oh my god!" She continues to ramble, feeling very excited by the turn of events.

"Yukina, calm down." Ayame rubs her temples tiredly, feeling impatient with her.

"Legal? Handsome?" Yukina says with sparkles in her hazel eyes. Ayame sighs, as she was expecting these questions, and replies. "Half of them are legal. And yes, handsome."

Yukina gasps excitedly, looking very exhilarated. "Legal and handsome! This is great!"

Ayame expectantly observes Yukina's face as her smile turns into an excited one to a mischievous grin.

"...Can I?" Yukina asks with a naughty grin, hinting at an adult only subject. Ayame gazes at her with a composed gleam in her eyes.

"No, you may not. In fact, don't you dare." She restricts her, forbiddingly.

Yukina pouts at her disapproval, but agrees to obey nevertheless. "Oh, poodles. Well, if it's for my bestie, I promise to not touch them." She smiles at her innocently, staring into her almond eyes.

Ayame roll her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

The two girls then shortly part ways as they depart to attend their respective classes. Yukina energetically greets Ayame off, while Ayame calmly waves, turning her back on Yukina as she walks away.

Ayame arrives at her class early, and seeing that they were still few people, she goes up to her professor and secretly passes her the book; 'Midnight Pleasures'. Her professor gives her an acknowledging nod, and at the same time grinning with satisfaction evident on her face.

Ayame personally wasn't very interested in these types of books, and at first wasn't going to accept it, but due to her professor's insistence and Yukina's pleasured moans that she heard, she had decided to give this sort of book a try. Surprisingly, she didn't hate it. It was nice for a light read, though unrealistic.

_Why doesn't the girl just run away from him?_ She often thought to herself when reading the BDSM erotica, thinking about how she would act in such situations. The man was clearly mentally unstable, and if you loved him enough, wouldn't you seek professional help? And not take it upon yourself, a complete amateur? This puzzled Ayame, who was a usually a rational thinker.

She proceeds to seat herself down on one of the chairs, picking her usual seat at the front row. It was easier to concentrate at the front, as if she were at the back row, she would find herself distracted by the small details of movements everybody else made.

Ayame grabs out her textbook, and starts to revise lightly as all the other students arrive to class, one after another. Seeing as all students had arrived, the professor gets up from her seat and seeks everyone's attention.

"Okay, everybody here? Good. Now today's topic that I would like to discuss is about-"

Ayame stops revising and diverts her attention to her lecturer, getting ready to take notes.

* * *

After a long, tiring day of lectures, Ayame exits the school grounds. She rubs her stiff neck, feeling strained from all the note taking she had done. It was nearly sunset, and Ayame feels like something sweet after a stressful day.

She remembers that a bakery recently opened up nearby, and decides to go check it out. After five or so minutes of walking, she arrives at the store, analysing all the potential goodies.

She thinks deep and hard, earnestly pondering on what to pick. Although Ayame was no good at baking, she did enjoy her desserts very much. Unable to pick, she decides to get Ema's favourite- strawberry shortcake.

_Ema would like this,_ She thinks to herself, with a pleasant smile, but then thinks of another person. _Ah, I'll get one for Iori too..._

She then unconsciously reaches out the tongs to grab out the shortcake, but then abruptly stops herself, wondering why she thought of Iori.

..._Am I playing favourites_? She wonders to herself oddly, then chuckling at the thought. Perhaps she had gotten quite attached to the boy. Thinking about how much Wataru would get upset; she grabs an extra two cakes and pays for them, leaving with her wallet quite bare.

She frowns, feeling uncomfortable with a naked wallet, as income was no longer rolling in. To pay for her rent, she had a part-time job as a tutor. But now that she had moved quite far, and didn't need as much money, she called it quits, seeing it as an opportunity to focus on studying. Ayame then realizes that perhaps she liked staying busy, and ponders on whether to get a job again.

_Maybe I'll apply for a campus_ _job_... She considers, as she once overheard a classmate talk about her new campus job. Ayame considers this possibility, but then realizes that if she were to work on campus, Yukina would come to interrupt and pester her. Her face scrunches up in distaste, and decides that if she were going to get a job, it would be better to find a quaint little place to find, out of Yukina's prying eyes.

Ayame sighs, and decides to put it off for later. While carrying her bag and cake box, she walks home peacefully, and soon arrives at the front door of the Sunrise Residence.

Just as she attempts to unlock the door, a familiar voice calls out to her, making Ayame look back.

"Aya-nee!" Ema yells out, waving at her with a friendly smile. Ayame waves back, smiling warmly. Ema jogs up to her, joining her sister.

"How was school?" Ayame asks, unlocking the door. Ema replies with a bored look, "Nothing special. We're still studying 'The Tale of Genji', which is getting pretty dull." She then frowns, wearing a wondering expression, "Ah, but Yusuke-kun done something pretty weird today."

Ayame peeks up from hearing this information, brain-storming all these love-related scenarios that may of have happened to the two teens. "Oh, really? What did he do?" She asks her, secretly expectant.

"Well, he suddenly shouted 'I'm not going to lose!' really loudly during literature. I don't why though." Ema attempts at a Yusuke impression, surprisingly hitting the nail pretty accurately.

Ayame raises her brow quizzically. _Well, that's not romantic at all..._

"That's peculiar." She comments, opening the door.

"Right?"

The two girls then enter the house, stripping off their shoes, then replacing it with slippers. They then enter the elevator. Ayame presses the button for the fifth floor. Ema then notices the cream coloured cake box that Ayame was carrying. She looks at the box curiously, and then questions her sister, "Aya-nee, did you buy cake?"

"Yeah, a new bakery opened up nearby, so I bought a few. I bought your favourite for you. I believe your thanks are in order." Ayame hums to herself with a proud grin.

"Thanks, Aya-nee!" Ema chuckles cutely, quickly thanking her sister. She then looks up to her sister with hopeful eyes. "...Am I allowed to have it now?" Though tempted to say a gracious 'yes', Ayame decides to not spoil her baby sister too much.

"Sorry, but no. Eat after dinner." She says strictly, though with a smile. Ema pouts, but gets over it quickly.  
The elevator stops at their destination, and the two girls hop out.  
"I'm going to put this away in the fridge. Later." Ayame waves casually. Ema nods allowingly, and goes off to the living area.

Ayame enters the kitchen, and proceeds to open the larger-than-average fridge, but then frowns upon the lack of space, even with a fridge as large as it was.

Ayame sighs to herself forgivingly. After all, they had to feed more than ten people a day, it would actually more frustrating to not have any food.  
Ayame then proceeds to grab out a few ingredients in an effort to fit the cake box, but to no avail. She groans irritably, and then decides to just rearrange it a little. Finally, after a minute or so, she manages to fit it in miraculously, heaving a sigh of relief.

Seeing as her business was done, Ayame decides to lounge around in the living to relax with Ema. She walks out of the kitchen, and just as she attempts to enter the living area, she stops upon hearing an unfamiliar male's voice, chatting with her sister's melodic, chipper one.

"Oh, Miwa's remarriage's daughter!" The unfamiliar boy's voice says with realisation.

"That's right!" Ema confirms, sounding somewhat relieved.

"But wasn't there two? Where's the other one?" The boy says.

"Ah, she's in the kitchen right now..." Ema replies timidly.

Ayame deducts that the male's voice probably belonged to another brother that she had not she had not met yet, and smiles to herself keenly. She then enters the room, hoping to introduce herself to her new brother, but then stops in her tracks when she hears the next sentence.

"Hmm..." He hums, then proceeding to analyse Ema, "...You're pretty cute as it is, but you seem kind of dumb."

..._It seems like I got too overly expectant_, Ayame thinks to herself crossly, disappointed with his bratty attitude. She irritably enters the room deeper, preparing herself for discipline mode.

The pubescent boy then goes even further, confirming his statement, or perhaps also fate. "Or rather, you _are_ an idiot."

_I definitely got too overly expectant._

With her patience wearing thin, she walks into the room.

"Hey, you. That wasn't very polite, don't you think? You should apologize to her." Ayame says, catching the attention of the two teenagers.

The boy then analyses Ayame also, and smirks to himself cockily. "At least this one seems smarter."

"Thanks a lot, sweetheart. But to be honest, I'm not feeling very happy with your praise." Ayame sighs, now face-to-face with the boy.

"Why? Anybody would be happy to receive a compliment from an idol." He says, still grinning smugly.

Ayame raises a brow at his peculiar statement, but then stares at him in shock, recognizing him from somewhere. On closer inspection, he was the all the rage idol -in the flesh- Fuuto Asakura.

She wasn't necessarily a fan of his, but she knew him, due to his popularity with the older ladies, aka college girls. Being in an environment that was practically full of them, Ayame had often heard fellow college girls gush at his splendour.

She sighs at this family's caliber. A doctor, a lawyer, a flirtatious monk, twin voice actors, a spaced-out hairstylist, a stoic basketball player, a princely highschooler and now a national Idol?

She then thinks of a particular college girl, and thinks of how she would be laughing her ass off at how cliché everything was.

"Ah- you're that idol..."

Fuuto awaits expectantly with a smug grin, which frankly irritated Ayame, so she decides to mess with him a little.

"...A-Asa...mura? Asamura Fuuto-kun?" She feigns ignorance, looking genuinely confused.

Fuuto's face quickly drops, losing that cocky smirk of his that annoyed Ayame so.

He looks at her crossly, looking quite offended. "_Asakura_. It's Asakura. Geez, does stupidity run in the family?" He looks away irritably, and walks away, feeling quite annoyed with his new sister.

"Don't be a diva, Fuu-chan. The media will find out if you continue, and you don't want to find yourself in that situation. 'Asakura Fuuto's actually a Diva?' will be in all those gossip mags." She teases, feeling quite satisfied with his dramatic reaction.

He shouts back irritably, "I know that, stupid! And stop being so familiar with me. It's creepy. Disgusting. _Weird_."

Ayame has the urge to chuckle at his temper tantrum, but prevents herself. "You know, keep repeating 'stupid', and you'll eventually turn dumb yourself."

"People who follow that sort of stupid logic are the stupid ones. God, you idiot. Whatever, I'm going to my room."

_Sure, repeat the same word twice will definitely give you the upper hand. _Ayame thinks to herself, not voicing it in the open, though tempted to.

"I never asked for where you were going. What, attached to me already? Though I can't blame you, I'm a great sister. Right, Ema?" Ayame smiles to her sister, who was nervous at being involved with their little bickering.

"E-Eh? Ah, yes." She replies, then shying way, afraid of Fuuto's response.

"As if!" He only says, disappearing out of sight quite crossly.

Ayame then bursts into loud laughter, enough for the whole house to hear, including the humiliated Fuuto.

"A-Aya-nee...He'll hear you..." Ema whispers out, feeling sorry for the boy. Ayame continues to laugh, ignoring her sister's protests.

"So? Let him! He deserves it for being a little brat. Plus, he's just being a little pompous drama queen. Be more aggressive, Ema. It'll help ward off unwanted negativity from your life." She advises, to which her little sister only gives an insecure nod.

"_Aggressive_." She encourages.

"Y-yes."

"Aggressively!" She shouts out loudly, embarrassing her timid younger sister.

"Y-yes!" Ema yells out just as loudly, straightening up her body. Ayame then pats her on the head, satisfied enough. "Better."

Ema grumbles dissatisfiedly, feeling quite embarrassed. Noticing her ill mood, Ayame changes the subject. "So, are you going to watch T.V?"

"Oh, yeah. Do you want to join?" She offers, wanting some private time with her sister.

Ayame smiles at Ema brightly, "Yep! But I get to pick the channel."

"Eh, why? I need to watch Toyama no Kin-san!" Ema whines, as she was looking forward to watching the period drama all day.

"Ema, you've already rewatched the series multiple times. And sorry to break it to you, but it's boring. We're watching something else today."

"Then you should just not watch T.V!" Ema whines.

Ayame sticks out her tongue, "Nope. Deal with it."

Ema pouts, but finds herself quickly pulled into the show that Ayame picked out anyway.

* * *

After finishing the show, the two girls enter the kitchen once again, with the intent on helping. Ukyo, at first, protests but gets artfully convinced by Ayame. Reluctantly, he lets them help out.

Before they start cooking, Ukyo remembers a certain younger brother's rare appearance in the house. "Ah, have you two met Fuuto yet?"

Ayame quickly remembers the quarrel that ensued, and starts to chuckle softly. "Yes. He's cute."

Ukyo blinks at this, quite surprised.  
"That's a first." He blurts out, to which Ayame chuckles. "He's a little brat, but he's cute to tease."

Ukyo blinks yet again, as it was usually Fuuto who done the teasing.

Ayame continues, "I can handle him. Hopefully, this one can eventually too." Ayame messes up Ema's hair lovingly, making Ema grumble in embarrassment.

"Aya-nee, stop..." She mumbles, earning a chuckle from Ukyo. He then goes to reassure her, "Well, he probably won't be showing his face up tomorrow. Though there is a slight chance he may since tomorrow is special..."

"Special?" The two girls say curiously, and receive a guilty look from Ukyo. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you. Tomorrow's Subaru's birthday."

In response, Ayame hums joyfully while Ema delightfully clasps her hands together.

"Wow, a birthday party! With so many siblings, it must be so fun!" Ema excitedly comments, while Ayame agrees happily, seeing this as a perfect opportunity to get closer to him.

Maybe if she bought him a present, he would open up a little more.

"Well, we usually don't go that far, but since Subaru's turning twenty..."  
"I see. So, anything we can help out with?" Ayame asks.

"Yes, please let us help!" Ema pleads with a blinding smile. Ukyo looks up, thinking of what can do, and then smiles at them kindly, "Then...could you please make the cake?"

Ayame gulps upon hearing this piece of news, as for some reason, whenever she attempted to make pastries, she always failed miserably.

Ema looks at her pityingly, "Aya-nee, you're going to have to sit this one out..."

"Yeah..." She sighs, reluctantly agreeing, as she didn't want to be of nuisance. "Eh, what's wrong?" Ukyo questions, with a curious look on his fair face.

Ema explains promptly, "Aya-nee can't cook anything other than Japanese cooking."

"Ah, I see. I'm sorry, I should have been more considerate." Ukyo apologizes with a sorry look on his face. Ayame shakes her head, "No, it's fine. After all, it's not like we should have Japanese instead of the cake just for me. Oh, I know! I'll go buy the ingredients for you. After all, that's the least I can do."

Ukyo graciously accepts her offer, and Ema offers her assistance. "Do you want me to help?"

Ayame smiles, "No, it's fine. You just stress about the cake making, okay?"  
Ema nods.

"Well, I guess we should get started with dinner." Ukyo says, rolling up his sleeves.

* * *

After dinner ends, Ayame remembers to tell the youngest boy and Iori about the cake that she bought for them.

Excitedly, she goes to tell Wataru, whose eyes sparkled with such glee that Ayame herself started to feel warm inside.

He was a cute little thing, no doubt, and Ayame felt herself getting more and more attached to the sweet young boy.

"Yay! Ayame Onee-chan, you're the best! I love you so, so, so much!" He clings on to her, wearing an overjoyed expression.

Ayame smiles back at the boy, patting him gently on the head. "Me too, Wataru-kun. Now, I'll go get it for you guys, okay?"

"Un!" Wataru squeals in anticipation, following Ayame keenly as if she were a Mother Duck.

Iori smiles at her, somewhat apologetically. "Nee-san, you really didn't have to buy me one..."

"It's fine, it's fine. I just felt like it. Rather, feel proud. After all, you're the only other person than Ema and Wataru I got it for anyway." She waves off his humble self, encouraging him to feel happy at such a privilege.  
He smiles gratefully, following her to the kitchen also.

The trio enter the kitchen, and Ayame opens up the fridge, but to her shock, finds the box nowhere to be seen.

"H-huh?" She gasps out. Wataru tilts his head quizzically, looking up to his new sister figure. "Onee-chan? What's wrong?"

Ayame flinches, and then guiltily looks down to meet Wataru's innocent and naïve eyes. Her face scrunches up in guilt, knowing what his reaction would be. She struggles to get to the words out, but knowing this is for the best, she scoots down to his eye-level.  
"Sorry, Wataru-kun. The cake's missing, it's not here." She confesses, then guiltily taking in the face of the crushed boy's hopes and dreams.

"...Eh?" He whimpers, tears threatening to roll down his cheeks. Ayame continues to pat him on the head, trying to chide the boy. "I'm so sorry, sweetie."

Wataru tries his best not to shed tears, and puts on his best smile, but fails miserably, big tears rolling down anyway. His hard effort quickly tugs at Ayame's heartstrings, making her feel even guiltier.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, Wataru-kun! I'll definitely buy you another one soon, okay?" She says, wiping the watery tears off of his round face. Wataru nods, as he wipes his tears, "...Yep!" He snivels.

"I wonder what happened to the cake." Iori wonders calmly, clearly not as fazed as his younger brother was.

Ayame sighs, and could only try to guess, as the culprit was hiding amongst eleven people. Ema was likely, but she was never the type to eat something that wasn't hers. But then Ayame dives in deeper.

Perhaps her younger sister had eaten the strawberry shortcake -unknowingly. After all, Ayame didn't mention that two of the cakes were for Iori and Wataru, so maybe she misunderstood and pigged out. But then again, Ema wasn't the type of person to just devour four strawberry cakes, seeing as she didn't have much of an appetite since her childhood years.

Just as Ayame continues to wonder, a familiar voice interrupts her flow of thoughts.

"Yeah, what happened to the cakes, I wonder?" The familiar voice says.

Reflexively, Ayame turns around to see who it belongs to, and is not pleased by the sight.

It was Fuuto, who was cheekily eating the cake, right in front of them.

Wataru, who tried so hard before to not burst out into tears, starts wailing at the sight.

"Waaaah! Fuutan, my cake!" He cries, running towards Fuuto, feebly hitting him. Fuuto irritably looks down to his only younger brother, and grunts. "Oi, Wataru! Stop it, what if you make a bruise?"

"Oh is Mr. Idol so feeble that he is bruised by even a child's premature punches? Really, you humour me." Ayame says with obvious sarcasm, not happy that her dear cake was devoured.

Fuuto grins smugly at the frowning Ayame, and gives Wataru the plate of half-eaten cake, which he happily takes. Fuuto approaches her slowly.

"Are you that upset that I ate your beloved cake? I'm so sorry, nee-san How about I make it up to you in a way that you can still taste it?"

Ayame raises a brow at his cryptic message, and questions him. "Like how?"

"Like this " Fuuto whispers softly, then sensually going closer to Ayame's face, almost kissing her soft lips, but is stopped by a cold hand, covering his mouth. Fuuto looks up curiously, and witnesses his older brother look at him with a disapproving gleam in his eyes.

"Fuuto." He says in a scolding tone. Fuuto stares at Iori's serious face, and backs away half-heartedly from the less than pleased Ayame.

"Geez, it was just a joke. You guys are way too serious, I swear. Who'd want to kiss an old hag like-" He is interrupted by Ayame, who was stretching his ear.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Fuuto groans.

"Fuuto, try something of that sort again, and I _swear_ that I won't let you off this easily." She scolds threateningly, still not letting go of his sore ear.

"Ow, I got it! Just let go!" He shouts resistantly, but contrary to his hopes, he instead gets his other ear stretched, just as painfully.

"Magic word?" Ayame says, stretching them as hard as she could.

"Pretty please, beautiful sister, will you let my ears go?"

"And?"

"Ugh, seriously?" He shouts, sounding quite irritated.

She pulls them even wider.

"Ow! Fine, I'm sorry!" He apologizes unwillingly.

It wasn't the most earnest of apologies, but Ayame took what she could get.

"Good boy." She finally frees his ears, which were throbbing red. Fuuto growls at her angrily, feeling quite irritated.

"Now," Ayame says, treating him like a child, "Why did you eat the cake?"

Fuuto sticks out his tongue, "Revenge for my stupid sister bullying me."

Ayame then pinches his nose disapprovingly, "I'm not stupid, and neither is Ema for the record. Now say the magic word."

Fuuto grumbles aggregately, and obeys reluctantly. "Yeah, yeah, whatever! I'm, _'sorry'_."

She stays silent, staring into his chocolate brown jewels. He grunts, "Sorry."

She lets go of his nose, and pats his hair, feeling quite satisfied with herself. Fuuto blinks at this action, and grins mischievously, and attempts to commit another teasing action, but is noticed by Ayame.

"No." She limits him, staring at him warningly. Fuuto stares at her back, and groans, feeling annoyed that he couldn't get his daily dose of teasing.

"How boring. I was hoping for a cuter sister." He says, now walking away, then his face lightens up impishly. "Ah, but there's still that other one. I'll just tease her instead, she seems more easy-"

"Fuuto!" Ayame shouts coarsely, surprising everybody in the room, excluding Wataru, who ran out of the kitchen earlier in fear Fuuto would take his awaited cake away. "Don't you dare touch her. It's fine if it's only me, but don't touch Ema."

Fuuto looks back, stunned, as she never raised her voice around him before. He then thinks to himself, then smiles slyly.

"Huh? Nee-san, do you perhaps have a siscon?" He purrs, now walking towards Ayame.

Ayame replies calmly, "I'm not sure what would classify by having a 'siscon', but if it means that we are very close, then I suppose so."

Fuuto hums wickedly, seeing this as an opportunity to tease. He leans closer, whispering into her ear,

"Then...could you treat me the same way? I'd love to be closer to you, nee-san...though in the physical sense." He purrs into her ear sensually, then checking her reaction. He grins in triumph, as she was burning red in humiliation and embarrassment.

Deciding that he wanted to push to his limits, Fuuto cheekily adds in a nibble to her ear, earning a shocked gasp from Ayame.

Iori, who was watching the whole event observantly, immediately separates Fuuto from Ayame, frostily glaring into his younger brother's eyes, surprising Fuuto.

"Ow, no need to be so violent!" He grunts, trying to free himself from his brother's grasp.

"Fuuto, that was rude of you. Apologize immediately." Iori demands with a scolding tone, but is interrupted by a weary looking Ayame.

"No, it's fine..." She sighs, now feeling calmer. Iori looks at her  
discontentedly. "But..." He says, still holding tight to the struggling Fuuto. "It's fine, it's my fault for letting my guard down anyway. You can let go of him."

Iori unwillingly follows her wishes, letting the adolescent boy go. Fuuto grumbles angrily, massaging his shoulders.

"Jeez, it was only a nibble." He complains, earning glares from both Iori and Ayame. He flinches at this, as he was not used to being treated disapprovingly by his older brother.

Feeling irritated by his brother's sudden scolding treatment of him, he irritably leaves the room, though obviously not in a peaceful way.

"Whatever, I'm bored now. I'm  
leaving," Just as he exits the room, he looks back to a frowning Ayame. "See you, my cute older sister "

..._Seems like we've traded our first impressions of each other. _Ayame sighs, feeling both tired and relieved that he was now gone.

Iori looks at her apologetically, "Sorry about Fuuto. He's a little infuriating at times, but deep down he's a good kid."

Ayame smiles at him reassuringly, "Don't worry, I don't hold a grudge."  
Iori sighs thankfully. Ayame stares at him, observing.

..._He reacted a lot worse when it was Kaname. I guess favouritism, huh? Though of course I can't talk_.

Ayame sighs to herself. "I'm feeling pretty tired now, so I'll be going to my room."

Iori smiles at her tenderly, "Me too." She grins at him, "Then let's go together."

He smiles at her affectionately, "Gladly."


	6. Chapter 5: The Cross Necklace

(Ayame means Iris in Japanese)

_I've got to admit, this is heavier than I thought it would be... _Ayame groans to herself, then finally giving in, sitting down on a nearby bench. Peeking at the two full to bursting grocery bags, she sighs.

_Maybe I should've accepted Ema's help, after all,_ She thinks to herself regretfully, but then shakes the thought off, as her sister had her hands full with making the cake. Plus, she was physically stronger, as she was in the soccer club in middle school- although she hadn't played the sport ever since.

She decides to take a short break, restoring her stamina. With nothing to do, she observes the passersby's of the Akamichi Shopping District in a bored manner, but then squints her eyes upon noticing a familiar face walking around the district.

_...Iori? _

She blinks in surprise at seeing the young boy, and peeks at the grocery bags calculatingly.

_...Maybe I'll enlist his assistance. _She thinks to herself, a small grin mixed with guilt and relief creeping up.

She decides to call out to him- though with somewhat cheeky intentions.

"Iori-kun!" She yells out, waving her hand at the lone boy. His head immediately jerks up in surprise, looking around his surroundings. He continues to search for the owner of the voice desperately, but to no avail, and wonders if it was just his imagination. Ayame chuckles at the sight, as he was uncharacteristically looking quite confused. Seeing as he was starting to walk away, she decides to call out to him again.

"Iori-kun, it's not your imagination! Come over here!" She yells out again, gaining some attention from nearby strangers, making her shrink back a little, feeling a bit embarrassed.

This time, Iori manages to find her, and smiles tenderly at his older sister. He crosses over the road carefully, and shortly arrives in front of her.

"Hello, Ayame nee-san." He greets with his princely smile, then noticing the two bulging bags of groceries that were resting at her feet. "...Shopping?" He inquires.

Ayame smiles at him warmly, "Yep, it's for Subaru's birthday cake."

"I see. Are you going to make it?" He asks out of curiosity. She shakes her head, and then sighs heavily. "Ema is. Truth is I'm just terrible at baking. The only thing that I can cook with confidence is Japanese."

"But at least you're good cooking, unlike majority of our brothers, who can't cook at all." He says comfortingly. Ayame laughs appreciatively, making Iori smile.

"True." She says, and then getting off the bench, "So, why are you here? Shopping?"

Iori nods and proceeds to explain. "I'm here to buy flowers for my teacher who's leaving for maternity leave next week. She's been kind to me ever since I was a first year, so I thought I'd at least get her a present. Though...to be honest, I'm not really sure on what flower would make a woman happy."

Ayame perks up from hearing the news, and offers her help. "How about I help? I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to flowers, but I can offer my help if it requires knowing the way to a woman's heartstrings."

He looks at her with a thankful smile, "Then, I'll take up on your invitation."

Ayame hums proudly, and just as she bends down to grab her bags, is stopped by Iori's kind hand.

She looks at him curiously; staring into his hazel eyes, but only receives his loving smile. She gulps nervously, as her weakness was his genuine smile that popped up once in awhile.

He slides off her grasp on the plastic shopping bag, smoothly replacing her hand with his. He picks up both of the bags effortlessly, impressing Ayame, who had quite the struggle with carrying the load. He then starts to walk off with the bags in hand, but then stops, looking back at Ayame expectantly.

"Ayame nee-san?" He says with a tender smile. Ayame nods, and walks towards him.

Though she did get what she wanted, she felt a little bad for only calling out to him for him to carry her bags.

Although he didn't particularly seem to be struggling, she decides to carry at least one of the bags.

After all, she was his older sister, and it was the elder's duty to be responsible.

She walks beside him, and slowly reaches out her hand discreetly to thieve one of the grocery bags off of him. However, she unintentionally brushes her hand against his, eliciting Iori's attention to her.

He looks at her with a very surprised expression, as if she just committed a crime. With his attention completely focused on her, Ayame swallows the urge to cringe at her clumsy slip-up, and attempts to explain.

"I...Well, you see-" However, she stops speaking, upon feeling something soft gently clasp onto her hand. Her eyes wide open; she looks up to a silent Iori.

He was holding onto her hand through the gap of the plastic shopping bag.

_Ah._

Realizing that she may of have unintentionally led him on, she turns blue.

Although knowing fully that she should explain as soon as possible before another misunderstanding occurs, she stays quiet, perhaps out of shock or perhaps out of guilt.

His hand felt strangely reassuring, almost as if he was a mother chiding her child. Feeling it oddly soothing, Ayame found it difficult to muster up the courage to speak up.

They continue to walk in a strange silence, and shortly arrive in front of the florist, 'Shimao'.

Iori finally lets go of her hand, to Ayame's relief -or perhaps disappointment. Smiling at her as if nothing had happened, he enters the store together with Ayame.

The register lady energetically greets them, to which they nod acknowledgingly.

"Welcome, what flower do you wish to have?" She says with a warm smile. Iori smiles back, just as warmly. "We haven't decided yet, but she's going to help me, so there's no worry."

The short haired lady analyses Ayame, a grin creeping up her clean-cut features.

"Is that so?" The lady hums with a playful smile, making Ayame feel slightly embarrassed.

_It seems that another misunderstanding has been born... _She sighs, wanting to smack herself on the face. Iori notices her discomfort, and frowns apologetically. He then swoops down to her ear, then whispers sensually close to her skin, "Sorry..."

Blushing slightly, Ayame quickly looks up in surprise, "Ah, no-..."

She attempts to dismiss his apology, but then notices the florist's smile grow even wider, then stopping out of embarrassment.

Awkwardly, she excuses herself to search for a flower.

Iori stares at her leaving self desolately, and walks towards different isle. However, he is stopped by an awkward Ayame, who grabs his hand and pulls him into her isle, to Iori's surprise.

"...I'm not mad at you, so don't you look so sad, okay?" She sighs. Iori stares at her in silence, and then starts to chuckle softly, making Ayame grumble.

"Let's just get this over and done with." She mumbles, proceeding to check out the variety of flowers. Iori nods, and does the same, thinking about which flower to pick and their respective meanings.

Ayame strolls around the isle, trying to pick out one flower out of all the beautiful blossoms. There was a lot of variety, flowers ranging from daisies to snapdragons, and colours ranging from passionate reds to calming blues.

...Perhaps there was _too _much variety.

Ayame then spots an Iris -the same as her name- her expression darkening slightly. She picks up the elegant flower, twirling it by the stem, staring at it bitter sweetly, remembering a distant memory.

_"...Are you still not finished?" A cold, frosty voice said. Ayame looked up to the woman, who was staring at her with a detached look in her eyes. Ayame flinches slightly. _

_ "Are you trying to humiliate me? Hurry up and complete it in five minutes, otherwise you get no dinner." Her mother threatened, not being encouraging at all. Ayame nodded blankly, then hurried to complete the worksheet that would be outrageous for a five-year old to be expected to complete. _

_"...If it were that man's son, he would have completed it twenty minutes earlier." The woman clicked her tongue, biting at her red, polished fingernail. Ayame's face turns dark upon her mention. _

_Why had she always compared her to him? _

_As she hurriedly rushed to complete the worksheet in an effort to not anger her mother, a strange thought crosses her mind. Why had she never called her by her name? It was always 'you', or when she was mad, 'failure', or other mean things. Why was her name even Ayame in the first place?_

_"...Mother, why did you name me Ayame?" A young Ayame accidently blurted out, to the surprise of herself and her mother. Ayame fearfully looked up to her mother, and received a frosty, desolate glare from her, making Ayame flinch. She replied callously. "Is that relevant to your studies? No, it isn't. Continue the worksheet." _

_Ayame looked down at her studying desk despondently, and obeyed with gloomy eyes. "Yes mother." She replied robotically, those two words being the most common vocabulary she ever spoke. _

_Her mother continues to strictly watch her daughter like a hawk, but eventually her strict and stern demeanour wearied down, although unnoticeably so. _

_"...Because Iris' were my wedding bouquet flower." She whispers, almost inaudibly, but Ayame manages to capture this, and stares at her mother in shock. _

_Her mother had never responded to a question before, let alone tell Ayame about herself. _

_"What are you gawking at? Continue." She said cold as before. Ayame quickly obeys, though secretly smiling under her mother's demanding watch. _

_"What are you smiling for? Stop. It's disgusting." She said coldly, but somehow, she looked somewhat bashful. _

_Ayame stops smiling almost immediately, though never stopping in her heart. _

Noticing Ayame's cold daze, Iori speaks up.

"Ayame nee-san? Is this the flower?" Iori says, snapping Ayame out of her gaze.

"...Eh?" She mutters, slowly coming back to reality. Noticing Iori's worried gaze, she quickly comes to. "Ah, sorry. I wasn't listening. What did you say?"

He stares at her silently for a few seconds, and then repeating, "Is this the flower you think is good?"

She stares at the Iris, noticing that it had withered a little, and frowns faintly. "...No, I only picked it up because it's my name. Sorry." She smiles at him apologetically. He stares at her observantly, but quickly replaces his frown with a kind smile.

"There's no need to apologize. After all, Iris' are very pretty. I too, would space out upon gazing at it." He says, smiling very tenderly at her. Ayame blushes faintly, wondering if he were implying subtext.

"...Is that so?" She replies serenely, dismissing the chance of a deeper meaning. She then reaches out to another flower. "I prefer this one though."

Iori watches Ayame elegantly pick the blossom, gazing at it mesmerizingly.

"This is my favourite flower. I think it was called..." She looks up at the ceiling, trying to think of the name.

"Peony." He answers, smiling at the blossomed flower. She smiles at him appreciably. "Yeah, peony. I'm surprised you know."

He chuckles softly, then pointing at a pretty tag. "It says it right here."

Ayame blinks, looking at the tag that was attached to the flower.

_Peony. ¥1000 per stem._

_...Huh, he's right. _She thinks to herself, feeling a little embarrassed. Iori chuckles softly at her timidness, earning a joking smack on the shoulder.

"Hey." She scolds, though light-heartedly. Iori stops laughing, though still smiling.

Feeling as if this has happened recently, she thinks deeply, then memories of the pudding picnic resurfacing. She had hit him jokingly, but received a rather serious and shocked reaction from the boy.

_...So he can take a joke? _She thinks, unknowingly staring at him deeply.

Iori stares back, just as deeply, then grinning slightly. Reaching out his hand slowly, he pats her head.

"Cute." He smiles, chuckling lightly.

"...Eh?" She gasps, her cheeks matching the pink peony.

He continues to smile warmly, then revealing, "...Revenge for the other day."

Ayame turns even redder, more resembling the nearby crimson camellia blossom.

_So he hasn't forgotten? _

She covers her face with her hands in shame. "...Sorry."

He smiles at her gently. "It's fine, I was just kidding around. I'm sorry for teasing you, Aya-nee."

She then sighs deeply, uncovering her face. "You didn't need to say sorry. It was karma for being a bad sister."

He continues to smile at her, then changing the subject to something more casual. "By the way, why do you like peonies?" He asks.

Ayame looks up to him with a mysterious allure, then back to the peony.

"Because it's the opposite of the iris." She says cryptically, earning the curiosity of Iori, who enjoyed discussing flower meanings.

"...What do you mean?" He says quietly.

Ayame replies, looking somewhat solemn, "The iris is too proud, even though there's nothing big to brag about. On the hand, the peony is humble -perhaps even shameful- even though it blossoms so beautifully. It has a lot of things going for it, but doesn't show off."

Iori stares at her with a mysteriously gleam in his hazel jewels. Realizing that she sounded like a pessimistic philosopher, she tries to brush it off bashfully, but is interrupted by Iori.

"Ah, just forget what I said. It's just something that rolled off the tip of my tongue-"

"-I like it. The iris." He reveals serenely, staring into her almond eyes. "I think it's beautiful, and the way it grows so proudly is very glorious. Though you seem to disagree."

He smiles at her warmly, prosing yet again at what could be understood as sub-text. Her face tries to blush once more, but she forcibly digs it deep down. She had blushed way too much to her liking, and was not going to let it happen again.

As such was the pride of the Iris.

"Well, we all our varying opinions. But I see your point." She calmly replies, desperate to regain her status as the mature older sister. He smiles softly, secretly noticing her desperate effort to appear composed.

"I see." He says, "By the way, do you want to know a fun fact?"

She looks up at him curiously, though only receiving a small smile.

"The peony means shame. The same as you interpreted it to be." He informs her. Ayame blinks in surprise.

"Oh, really?" She says, a little proud that she got it correct.

"Yes. It also means a happy marriage or happy life." He gives his usual gentlemanly smile.

"Hm..." She hums, then checking the tag again cautiously before continuing, "You're pretty knowledgeable."

"Not at all. I just like flowers, and their various meanings intrigue me." He replies politely.

Ayame twirls around the peony by the stem, gazing at the pink blossom. Continuing to observe its delicate beauty, she then realizes that the flower would be the perfect pick for his teacher, as it meant 'happy life'.

"Iori, let's get this one. I think your teacher would like it, don't you think?" She recommends, to which she receives a short nod.

"Good choice." He compliments. Ayame smiles gratefully.

The two then go up to the counter, to which the blue-eyed florist smiles welcomingly. Two peonies in hand, he gives them to the register lady.

"Thank you for your service. It comes down to ¥2000, please." She smiles warmly, finished with wrapping up the flowers in a pretty lilac shade, which complimented the pink.

Iori nods, grabbing out his money from his wallet. Just as he pays the money, Ayame notices the heavy, gray clouds assembling in the sky. She sighs to herself, begrudging the possibility of rain.

_It might pour at this rate..._

She steps of the florist, though only by a few steps, reaching out her head to sense the raindrops. She sighs upon feeling the sensation of cold water drops, ploppling against her open palm.

Meanwhile, in the shop had Iori payed and was ready to leave, but was stopped by the florist lady.

"Wait, I have a little present for you." She says, smiling happily. Iori obeys politely, though secretly wondering why she stopped him.

She takes a little while, but comes back shortly from the back room, which were possibly where all the flowers were kept. In her hand contains a pretty white flower, which Iori quickly recognized as the gardenia.

She gives him a wide smile along with the white flower.

"Special service for young, blossoming love." She smiles gently, looking quite pleasant.

Iori blinks in surprise, remembering the meaning of the flower.

_Good Luck_

He smiles sadly, yet graciously, refusing the offering, surprising the florist.

"I'm sorry, but you've misunderstood. That person over there is my sister." He smiles politely. The florist loses her smile but quickly gains it back again, surprising Iori.

"Then it suits the other meaning, 'secret love'. What a coincidence!" She smiles brightly, not looking fazed at all. She then forces the flower onto Iori, refusing to take it back.

Iori reluctantly takes the soft blossom, and is quickly shooed away by the shop owner.

"Come again!" She beams, waving at the handsome teen.

Iori walks out of the florist, feeling quite muddled. Ayame notices the extra flower and questionss him about it.

"Did you get another flower?" She asks, tilting her head curiously. Iori shakes his head.

"No, she gave it to me as special service for a student." He lies, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable again. Ayame accepts the reason, although a little doubtful.

"Do you know the meaning?" She grins, testing his knowledge.

He pauses, then smiling softly "No. Sorry."

"Shame," She casually replies, then sighing. "...I guess we have to walk home in the rain."

With rain pounding down hard, Iori smiles apologetically. "Sorry, I should've brought an umbrella."

She brushes him off, "No need to say sorry. If that's the case, then I should be apologizing too. Now, let's go home. Ema's going to kill me if we don't hurry along."

She picks up one of the bags, this time not resulting in an awkward mishap. Iori picks the other one up effortlessly, with the flowers being held in the other hand.

They hastily jog back home, rain pounding down rebelliously on their bodies.

* * *

"I'm completely drenched..." Ayame sighs to herself, water dripping down her body. She presses the button for the fourth and fifth floor, as Iori was going to go change and Ayame, deliver the ingredients.

Iori smiles guiltily, "Sorry that I took so long. If I had refused your offer, you wouldn't of gotten so wet."

"As I keep on repeating, there's no need to apologize. Plus, you're pretty drenched too, so we're even." She smiles at him reassuringly, looking at his very soaked clothing, water dripping down his pale skin. He smiles at her tenderly. They submerge into silence, relaxing against the elevator wall.

Though involuntarily, Ayame takes another cheeky peek at Iori's damp skin, and notices something that she had never seen before. Curiously, she reaches out, and strokes the beautiful metallic ornament.

"It's a very beautiful necklace. Are you Christian, or is it just a-" However, she abruptly brings herself to a halt, feeling the cold, silent glare of Iori.

"-n't touch..." He whispers harshly, yet fragilely as a glass figurine. Ayame stares blankly at the boy's desolate face, stunned at his sudden change of demeanour. Realizing that she was still touching the cross necklace, he repeats, though this time more harshly.

"I said, don't touch...!" He whispers, this time more clearly emotional. Ayame immediately stops, returning her hand to herself.

"...I'm sorry." She apologizes, still in a daze. The princely, gentle Iori had just raised his voice; with so much pain resonate in his usually soothing voice. That was more than enough to shock her. Iori returns to 'normal', regaining his usual tranquil composure.

"...No, I'm sorry. I just got a little surprised." He smiles reassuringly.

At first, it appears to be his usual princely smile but Ayame quickly identifies it as forged, seeing small similarities as the time she went up to his room. She stays silent, analysing him cautiously.

_Why would he react so sensitively towards a necklace? _She wonders. It wasn't as if he had a phobia of being touched. After all, he _did _hold her hand. Or could the necklace be a symbolic representation of something precious?

Just as she continues to think, the elevator stops at the fourth floor, pinging.

Iori smiles at her, no hint of unstableness no longer to be seen. "I'll be going back to my room now. You should too get dressed soon, Aya-nee. I wouldn't want you to catch a cold, after all."

Ayame, knowing better not to push, smiles and replies casually, "Don't worry, I'll get dressed right after I deliver these," She picks up the groceries, "Well, see you later."

He smiles, "See you too."

Iori walks out of the elevator, leaving Ayame alone to brood.

_I wonder what that was all was about..._

However, her brooding thoughts are quickly put to a rest as she arrives to her floor. Preparing herself for a heavy journey, she walks out of the elevator door, her destination being the kitchen.


	7. Chapter 6: Sour Birthday Party

Carrying the groceries, Ayame enters the kitchen, and is greeted by a very cross Ema.

"Aya-nee!" She yells out abruptly, her eyes narrowing, "Where in the world were you? I might not be able to bake it in time now!"

Ayame awkwardly laughs, as she anticipated this reaction.

Although her sister was usually peaceful and gentle, in moments of stress, she had the habit of becoming overemotional.

"I'm sorry for being late, but you've still got some time-"

"Some won't cut it! I need all the time…!" She cries out, almost on the verge of tears. She then whimpers, "…If I don't make the perfect cake, Subaru-san will continue to feel awkward around me…"

Finally breaking down, Ema hunches onto the ground, sobbing silently.

Seeing where her sister's stress was coming from, Ayame sighs resignedly, and rubs Ema's back comfortingly.

"Ema, calm down. He's not going to have a hissy fit over a measly cake. Instead of needlessly panicking, how about you start making it? You've got no time to waste, right? I can help if you want-"

"No." She sniffles, immediately rejecting the offer. Ayame takes little offense, as thinking rationally she would only bring her down.

"Roger. Now you get going." She pats on her back encouragingly. Ema looks up, and notices her sister's dripping attire, and gasps loudly. "Aya-nee, why are you so wet?"

"Hm?" Ayame looks at her drenched self, then replying, "Oh, this? It started to rain hard, but I ran home quickly so the ingredients are most likely fine. It's not a big deal, so don't stress.

Ema looks down at the kitchen tiles guiltily, feeling bad for having an outburst at her sister who ran so desperately through the harsh rain in order to deliver the ingredients.

"Aya-nee, I'm sorry for having a rant at you. I'm just feeling a little tense…" Ema continues to look down while fiddling with her fingers, feeling ashamed of her emotional instability. Ayame lifts up Ema's face, wanting her sister to be more self-confident.

"Ema, don't apologize. After all, it was my fault for taking my time. Now you go hurry with the cake while I go get dressed, yeah?" Ayame smiles reassuringly, then slapping Ema's cheeks lightly.

"…Yeah." Ema mumbles shyly, then smiling graciously at her dear sister, "Thanks, Aya-nee."

"You're welcome." She smiles back, and then places the ingredients on the kitchen countertop, though struggles slightly. She sighs in relief upon successfully placing the ingredients without mishap, and then excuses herself. "Well, I'll be going now. See you at the birthday dinner."

"Ah, wait Aya-nee!" Ema stops her abruptly, to Ayame's curiosity. Tilting her head, Ayame stares at her sister patiently as Ema proceeds to grab something from the drawer.

She quickly returns, carrying a small lilac tea towel. "Here. It's not the most suitable of towels, but it's the best one I could find. Thank you for buying the ingredients."

With a genuinely thankful smile, she passes Ayame the tea towel, to Ayame's gratitude.

"Not at all, I'll go get dressed now. " She smiles, waving her sister off.

* * *

Arriving at her door, Ayame swiftly unlocks it, but then stops upon hearing the eerie creaking of another door. Curiously, she peeks up, and is greeted by the sight of Kaname coming out of his room. Kaname quickly notices her presence, and winks at her flirtatiously.

"Hello, Ayame-chan. Are you here to see your big brother?" He teases with a playful smile.

_Ugh._

Her face scrunches up in revulsion.

In her book, Kaname was the most unlikable brother of the bunch, even more so than Fuuto. Fuuto was bearable, in a way that he wasn't often at home, which was a relief. Plus, she was able to look back at his flirtations and not have the urge to punch him in the face.

But Kaname? No.

Ayame wonders if she liked younger people, as she generally clicked with the younger ones better, which perhaps is due to her motherly nature.

Noticing her unimpressed expression, Kaname sulks disappointedly. "Ayame-chan, your big brother will die of loneliness if you continue to be so cold."

"Get your lady friends to cure you of your solitude then." She sighs tiredly, knowing that nothing pleasant would be born out of this conversation.

"It's no good if it's not you." He purrs seductively, reaching over her body, trapping her slender frame. Ayame glares at him, sending off strong indications that she didn't appreciate the more than necessary body contact.

"Please get off. It's, unsettling." She requests in a firm voice, staring at him warningly. Kaname retreats, hands in the air, but then stops in his tracks abruptly upon noticing a certain detail. Finding his bedazzled expression unnerving, she inquires him.

"What is it?" She crosses her arms with an uncomfortable expression, which for some reason makes his eyes go even wider.

"…Well, Ayame-chan, how should I say this, but your attire is…"

"Drenched? I know." She frowns, feeling stupid for getting worked over something that she already was aware of. However, she quickly perks up upon hearing something unexpected.

"That too, but…" He grins widely, "More specifically, in a certain area."

Kaname's eyes leer illicitly down to her top, which was now translucent thanks to the rain. Realizing on what he meant, Ayame immediately covers up her chest, blushing furiously.

_Why didn't Ema tell me?_

"Nice pick." Feeling calmer that she now knew, he whistles suavely, referring to her blue lace bra. Ayame, who was wondering on whether to thank or punch him, quickly decides on the latter.

In an effort to slap him, she raises her hand, but stopped by Kaname's tight grip on her wrist.

"That's no good, Ayame-chan…Trying to slap your big brother like that." He whispers seductively, then pulling her into a tight embrace. Ayame instantly scowls aggressively at this action, and attempts to writhe out of his embrace, but to no avail.

"Kaname, I'll shout." She threatens, glaring icily into his hazel, sultry eyes. Kaname smiles naughtily, a mischievous gleam in his sexual gaze. "Will you be able to if I do this?" He whispers, coming closer to her peach-coloured lips.

Ayame, learning from her previous experience with Fuuto, quickly recognises this situation as dangerous, and quickly plans out her next course of action.

She swiftly clutches onto Kaname's jacket, and uses her body weight to bring him down to the floor, slamming him to the ground hastily- though bringing herself down also. She arrives on top of him.

Kaname groans in pain with the sudden attack. She glares at him ominously.

"I swear. You just don't learn, do you? Can't you learn to _at_ _least _respect my body? It seems that you view me as someone to sexually toy with, and frankly, I think that's absolutely putrid." She whispers harshly, holding back the urge to punch the golden man.

Kaname stares at her in shock, as he never ever heard those words from anyone- let alone a woman.

"And by your face, it seems that nobody's ever told that to your face." Her face scrunches up in distaste, wearing an exhausted yet sardonic smirk. Just as she was about to get off of him, a creak of another door stops her in her movements.

Warily, she looks up, and then hitches her breath softly. There was Iori, in a new change of clothes, staring at them with wide eyes.

Ayame's face pales upon realizing what this situation would look like to Iori. Ayame, scandalously on top of Kaname, and both looking quite dishevelled. Not the most innocent-looking situation, to say the least.

For some reason, her heart pangs, as if a needle was just injected into her arm. She quickly shoots off of Kaname's sculptured body, staring at Iori anxiously.

Iori's face quickly turns expressionless, no longer seeming shocked. He coolly stares down at an awkward looking Kaname, who was on the floor. "…Am I intruding?"

"A little." Kaname replies, grinning flirtatiously. Ayame quickly stomps on his face, fearful of a misunderstanding, and attempts to explain more clearly.

"I was teaching this 'monk' a little lesson." Faking confidence, she lifts up her chin with a confident grin, though secretly anxious for him not to get the wrong idea. To emphasise her point, she kicks his head, earning a grunt from Kaname.

"Ow…! Ayame-chan, please refrain from abusing your big brother like that!" He begs, clasping his hurting head with a frown. Ayame completely snubs his presence, not meeting eyes with the monk.

Though seemingly unperturbed, Iori's guarded expression melts slightly. She sighs in relief, noticing his fortified expression thaw.

However, she freezes up upon realizing an important detail.

_If Kaname could to see my bra…doesn't that mean Iori can also? _

Blushing heavily, she reflexively covers her chest with the purple tea towel, earning a teasing grin from the knowing Kaname, and an unknowing stare from the unaware Iori.

Realizing that if she stayed long enough, he would eventually notice, she anxiously searches for an escape route. She notices her open door, and sighs in relief.

"W-well, I'll be going now…" She stutters, desperately hiding her damp chest.

"What, already? Ayame-chan, don't be so hasty~" He teases, grinning widely, but quickly shuts up upon the threatening glare he receives from the girl. Just as she enters the room, she peeks out, smiling softly. "See you later, Iori-kun."

He smiles back, just as gently. "See you later, Ayame nee-san."

She nods her head, then closing her door quietly.

* * *

After taking a rewarding bath, Ayame thoroughly hunts through her closet for a suitable outfit for the birthday party. After rummaging through her closet for awhile, she finds a satisfying mint green dress, which was not too formal, and not too casual. Perfect for a family birthday dinner.

She hums happily, trying on the pretty outfit. She looks at the mirror, and wonders if she should also do her hair. She crosses her arms ponderingly, staring at the ceiling with a speculating expression.

Ayame decides against it, as she wasn't feeling bothered enough. She sighs, then walking towards her desk with the intention of studying. However, she stops curtly, her good hearing picking up the sound of approaching footsteps.

To make sure that she just wasn't hearing things, she curiously creaks open the door, glancing at the hallway. Unexpectedly, she spots Louis, with a curler in his hand. Feeling a little proud her good hearing, she huffs her chest, then goes to greet her older brother.

She greets him welcomingly. "Louis-san, hello."

The gentle man looks up upon the mention of his name, then smiling softly at the dress-donning girl.

"Hello, Ayame-chan." He greets, then raising the curler. "Can I, do your hair?"

Ayame blinks at his straightforwardness, but chuckles softly nevertheless, feeling amused at his straight-to the-point ways. "Sure."

Ever so slightly, his face lightens up, looking very excited.

"I, am really happy…After all," He reaches out to caress her silky hair, "Ayame-chan, has such, beautiful long black hair. And, it's really well-cared for."

He smiles warmly, reminiscent of a child pleased with his Christmas gift. Although the sight of him smiling so blissfully was really cute, Ayame couldn't help but worry if he were going to turn her into his little experimental Barbie doll.

She gulps nervously upon imagining the thought.

"Thank you for your praise, Louis-san." She smiles politely, "Now, let's get started, shall we?"

He nods excitedly, looking very keen. Ayame chuckles tenderly, finding the sight of an adult man to be so eager about styling hair to be rather amusing.

They enter her room, and Louis works his magic.

* * *

"Finished." Louis huffs with satisfaction, seemingly very proud of himself. Ayame smiles gratefully as he provides her with a mirror.

Upon seeing her reflection, she blinks a couple of times, surprised with the end result. She actually looked quite nice. Her hair was done in a messy low bun, with her fringe curled, and crystal hair pins scattered across neatly. It was a nice change from her usual straight, loose hair.

"Wow, Louis-san, this is really pretty. Good job!" She laughs cheerfully, praising him heartily.

"Not at all. I still, have a long way to go." Louis humbly refuses the praise, though looking secretly proud, nodding to himself with a small smile.

"Nevertheless, thank you very much for doing my hair. It's very beautiful." She smiles at him warmly, to which she receives a kind smile back.

Wondering about the time, she checks her watch, and frowns.

"We should hurry, there's only a few minutes until Subaru's supposed to arrive home." She says, getting off of her chair. She grabs his birthday present from under her table, then exiting the room together with Louis.

* * *

They arrive in the unlit and dark living room area, and are greeted with the sight of their nine brothers and one sister, all huddled together behind the couch, trying to hide.

Tsubaki, being the first to notice their presence, swiftly gets up and grab their wrists, hauling them behind the coach.

"Yo, my dear little sister and brother~!" He whispers happily, the trio now squatting down on the floor.

"Hello, Tsubaki nii-san." Louis greets, smiling softly.

"I'm guessing he hasn't arrived yet?" Ayame asks the other twin, looking towards the direction of the entrance. Azusa nods his head, then getting out birthday crackers. "Nope, but he should be arriving soon."

He flips out his phone, which displays a text message from Subaru.

_'I'll arrive in a few minutes, but why the fuss?' _It writes, earning a soft giggle from Ayame, as Subaru was clueless of the upcoming surprise he was going to receive.

"Are you going to answer?" She asks in a whisper, shuffling closer to him in case he couldn't hear. Azusa shakes his head with a small smile, earning a soft chuckle from Ayame.

He then hands her and Louis birthday crackers, an item necessary for the surprise. They lay in waiting fretfully, anticipating his soon arrival.

Shortly, Ayame's good hearing picks up on footsteps, and hastily goes to inform the siblings.

"Everyone, he's here." She whispers as loud as she can get away with, and receives a dozen nods. Everybody anxiously prepares their crackers, nervous drops of sweat dripping down their clammy skin.

Eventually, the birthday boy arrives in the room, speaking to himself, "…Huh? Why's it so dark…?" He wonders with crossed brows, then searching for the light switch.

The siblings look at each other conspicuously, waiting for the right moment. The ring leader of the event, Ukyo, readily puts up his fingers, counting down to zero. The other siblings watch carefully, eyeing their brother.

As Ukyo's finger count becomes zero, Subaru switches on the light, and the brothers excitedly shoot up from behind the coach, popping the birthday crackers, creating consecutive _'bangs'_.

"Happy birthday, Subaru!" They all yell, with content and happy smiles splashed across their faces.

"Wah!" At all the sudden noises, Subaru yelps shakily, his body turning stiff from the unexpected attack of surprises.

Finding his shocked face to be funny, Tsubaki cheekily takes a pic, then speedily stuffing his cell phone into his pocket.

"Happy Birthday, Subarun!" Wataru greets with a gleeful smile, giggling at his usually stoic older brother's funny reaction.

As the sensation of surprise and fear settles in peacefully, Subaru's stiff posture eventually melts into one of relief, sighing heavily.

"Surprised, I see!" Ayame laughs sincerely at the athletic man, gradually walking closer to him. Subaru turns slightly pink upon her approaching figure, looking down timidly with wandering eyes.

Noticing his discomfort of her advancing self, she huffs disappointedly, but nevertheless kindly stops in her tracks. With a circular wrapped gift in hand, she throws it to him from a distance.

"Happy birthday, Subaru-kun." She smiles tenderly.

Being a basketball player, Subaru easily catches the circular object. After feeling around the edges for awhile, he quickly realizes that the spherical gift was a basketball.

"A…basketball?" He mutters to himself, looking at it quizzically.

"I heard that you're a basketball player, so I got you one." Her friendly smile then turns apologetic, "Do…you not like it?"

"Ah- no! That's not it…" He quickly replies, feeling anxious, "I actually needed a new one…Thanks." He mumbles, looking down again at the ground bashfully. Spotting his reddened ears, she giggles quietly.

"That's a relief." Sighing, she presses her palm to her chest, and then turning her head back to face her siblings, "Well then, does anybody else have any presents?"

They all look at each other, with a few turning to smile cheekily at Ayame.

"Nope!" Tsubaki energetically announces, speaking for everyone in the room. Ayame stares at them quizzically.

"Wait- absolutely _none _of you bought him a present?"

"Nope! Why would I waste money on Subaru? I would _much _rather use my own money on my cute little sisters. Right, Azusa?" Tsubaki reveals rather callously, resting his arm on Azusa's shoulder.

"Don't involve me in this. Plus, I have a proper reason. Work got too busy, so I had no time to buy anything." Azusa explains coolly.

"The truth is, me too…" Masaomi joins, awkwardly laughing while rubbing the back of his head embarrassedly.

"Disappointingly so, me too. I'm very sorry, Subaru." Ukyo reveals with an apologetic look.

"I was busy with the cake, too…Sorry, Subaru-san." Ema also voices, looking down at the ground shamefully. Subaru nods, acknowledging each reason.

"…And I'm guessing the rest of you have reasons also?"

They all nod guiltily.

_…Quite the depressing 20th birthday. _She thinks to herself, and then looks back to Subaru, who was just staring at his brothers apathetically, as if he were used to it. However, upon feeling Ayame's stare on him, he immediately averts his gaze, his eyes darting around.

She grumbles, feeling slightly uncomfortable for being the only one to buy him a present. It was as if she was his faithful girlfriend, buying him a present that he wanted.

Wataru speaks up, dissipating the awkward mood. "Hey, Ma-kun~? Can we eat the cake now?" He asks in a begging tone, tugging at his older brother's cotton sweater. Masaomi looks down to Wataru and smiles fondly, and pats his babyishly soft hair.

"Wataru, it's Subaru's cake, not yours. He's the birthday boy, after all. We'll eat when he wants to." Masaomi scolds with a contrasting kind smile. Wataru pouts a little, but quickly goes into cutesy begging mode.

"Subarun…" He leers at Subaru with an adorable beam, pleading his brother while fiddling with his fingers.

"Okay." Subaru smiles gently at his younger brother, happily granting permission.

"Yay! Subarun, you're the best!" He cheers, squealing victoriously. Masaomi sighs, wondering if they were all spoiling the youngest too much. However, he quickly forgets the thought as Wataru comes squealing at him, looking at him with a sweet smile.

He smiles back, and pats his head.

* * *

The horde of siblings all huddled around the cake, with the exception of Subaru, who went to sit himself down on the coach.

Wataru, upon laying eyes on the sweet goodness, excitedly went to comment.

"Wow! The cake is so big!"

The next brother to comment was Tsubaki, who nods in agreement with a big smile, feeling proud of his new younger sister. "It looks delicious!"

"That's amazing, Imouto-chan." Kaname praises.

Ukyo nods, seeming very impressed. "A magnificent creation…"

Iori adds in praise, smiling warmly, "It's almost a waste to eat it."

Ema nods meekly, shyly looking down with a small smile, contrasting to Ayame who was humming proudly.

"As expected of my little sister, you pulled it off. Good job." She smiles warmly, lovingly sweeping a stray strand of hair from her eyes.

"Thank you for your praise…" Ema continues to look down shyly, fiddling with her fingers.

Wataru, still feeling excited, perks up again. "Amazing! It's really, really amazing!"

Masaomi walks up behind to Wataru and bends down to meet one-to-one with the young boy, preparing to teach him a moral lesson. "Wataru, this is something your big sister made for Subaru. You shouldn't be happier than Subaru, okay?"

Wataru looks down seriously, seeming to be taking his father figure's advice to heart, and promptly goes over to where Subaru was, bowing apologetically at his older brother.

"I'm sorry, Subarun." He apologizes earnestly, earning a pat from the smiling Subaru.

"...He's a good kid." Ayame whispers to Masaomi with a calm smile, feeling reminiscent of the times she taught moral lessons to her sister when they were young. Masaomi laughs softly, feeling proud of the praise his youngest brother was receiving.

"…Siblings sure are nice." Ema comments with a heart warmed smile. Ayame gazes down at her younger sibling, then hugging her neck playfully. "What, not satisfied with me?" She teases lovingly, a playful smile creeping up to her lips. Ema shyly shakes her head, feeling shy with her sister's public display of affection.

"N-no…" She shyly denies, taking glances at the brothers who were staring at them with warm smiles.

"Thought so." She grins contently, still attached to Ema. Ayame feels a gaze rest upon her, and raises her watch to meet with it, and is surprised to find Subaru stare at her with a memorised gaze. However, he quickly averts it, a pink blush forming across his cheeks.

Feeling suspicious, Ayame stares at him for awhile but then turns her attention to Yusuke, who was looking at the cake with troubled eyes.

"You…made this all by yourself, right?" He mumbles, glancing at the vanilla cake miserably.

Ema cocks her head, "That's right…"

"For Suba-nii…you..." He mutters, looking quite desolate.

"Hm?" Ema hums, not hearing his words.

Yusuke looks down with a complicated gaze, "I…can't eat this."

"Why? Do you not like cake?" She asks, her brows lowering in disappointment.

"No, that's not it! You made it, and I would feel bad for _not _eating it, and I _want _to eat it but-" He responds fretfully, then looking away to avoid her puzzled gaze, "…but somehow...I can't eat this."

To control her urge to burst out laughing at how awkward yet how honest he was acting, Ayame hurriedly nuzzles into Ema's shoulder, trembling.

Ema notices her sister's muffled laughter and tilts her head backwards, her brows furrowing in wonder. "…Aya-nee?"

"Nothing." She mumbles while trembling, still leaning into Ema's curve.

Of course, Ayame isn't the only one in the room to notice Yusuke's transparent attraction for Ema, as Tsubaki leans on his adorably awkward brother's shoulder, a mischievous smirk plastered across his face.

"Ah, I see. So Yusuke won't eat it. Then I'll have your share~!"

Yusuke gasps panickingly, gaping despairingly at his brother dearest.

Tsubaki closes in on Ema, "After all, it's a cake filled with my adorable little sister's affection! I feel like I can eat it all!"

Ema, feeling quite nervous with his escalating close proximity, only manages to mumble timidly. "Um…"

Tsubaki grins playfully, "Or do you prefer being the one that's fed?"

Tsubaki grabs a strawberry from a nearby bowl, nearing it to Ema's face.

"I'm fine with that too." He says with a domineering tone, the strawberry nearing Ema's cherry lips.

Sensing her sister's discomfort, Ayame takes it upon herself to stop his teasing actions.

She grabs Tsubaki's hand, guiding it to her own lips, and then crunching into the sweet fruit, flavour bursting into her mouth. Tsubaki turns his attention to Ayame, his once grinning lips now open.

"Sorry, but they're my favourite." She smiles playfully, chewing on the fruit. Tsubaki shortly snaps out of his daze, then smiling just as playfully as she.

"As expected of Ayame-chan, you're good~" He whistles, seemingly impressed. She humbly accepts his praise, "Thank you. Now let's leave it at that, okay?"

"Okay~" He obeys cheerfully, then looking over to the sofa, "Even so, it seems like the person who the cake is for isn't too happy."

Upon being mentioned, Subaru looks up.

"Is that true?" Ayame speaks up for the both of them, separating herself from Ema.

Subaru whips his head at her, panic creeping up on his features. "That's not…"

He attempts to explain, but upon the stress of the horde of siblings staring at him expectantly, he shrinks back.

"Subaru-san…" Ema mumbles worriedly, earning Ayame's motherly attention.

Noticing the ill at ease expression's of the girls, Kaname places his hands on their two shoulders comfortingly –though earning the warning watch of Ayame.

"It's alright. He's not sick." He assures, then mumbling, "…Wait, maybe he is."

The two girls tilt their head at his vague message. Turning his watch exclusively on the matured sister, Kaname smiles slightly. "One that even a doctor can't cure. I, too, have this illness."

He wounds his arms around Ayame's waist, eliciting warning signs from the college girl.

"…I believe that I have already spoken to you about this." She whispers silently, inaudible to the surrounding siblings.

He winks with a confident smile, "I know, but it takes a long time to tame a wild beast."

Ayame sighs wearily, on the verge of giving up, but is saved by a knight in shining armour –or rather, prince.

"You're bothering her, Kaname nii-san." Iori coolly interrupts, seizing Kaname's hand. Kaname stares at Iori for a few seconds before eventually backing off with his hands up.

"I'm sorry, Ayame-chan."

"I accept your apology. Now, shoo." She dismisses his apology before waving him off, feeling worn out by his continuous attacks.

Kaname places his palm to his heart with a counterfeited hurt expression, then ultimately going away to be entertained by his other siblings.

_I feel like this is becoming a very common pattern. _She sighs, rubbing her temple. Iori looks at her apologetically, "I'm sorry about him."

She looks up to her handsome younger brother. "Don't apologize; if someone needs to apologize it's that perverse monk over there."

Iori smiles at her, but then his smiles stops, hinting curiosity. "May I ask you two something?"

"Sure." Ayame smiles welcomingly. He reaches out, grabbing a lock of her silk-like hair while staring at her curiously, making Ayame strangely nervous.

"Why did you two change your hairstyles?" He asks.

For once, Ema takes charge and replies for her sister, "Louis-san did this for us. He said that it was 'for the party.'"

"So it's like that…it really suits the two of you." He smiles kindly at the girls.

Ema blushes faintly, feeling shy with his kind praise. "Thank you very much."  
On the other hand, Ayame chuckles softly and smiles faintly at the prince-like high schooler.

"Thank you."

* * *

The siblings sit on the chairs, staring at the birthday boy expectantly.

Ukyo speaks up, smiling at Subaru. "Now, let's have Subaru blow the candles."

"Are we seriously doing this?" Subaru mutters as he watches the candles flicker disgruntled, feeling embarrassed to do such a childish activity at this age.

Ukyo stubbornly answers, "Yes."

He grumbles with discontent, tasting the bitter feeling of defeat, but agrees to do so anyway.

"I'll take the picture!" Ema perks up happily, readying the camera.

Subaru intensely blows out his candles, earning satisfied responses from his siblings. Seeing no need for the darkness, Ukyo turns on the lights.

After distributing each cake piece, Ayame, Ukyo and Masaomi sit down to indulge in their meal.

Being the most excited of the group, Wataru continuously comments on the delicious cake with a satisfied grin. "It's so delicious~! Onee-chan's cake is the best in the world!"

"_The_ best!" Tsubaki agrees with a blissful smile, then expectantly peeking at Yusuke. Upon noticing Yusuke's cake was still untouched, Tsubaki cheekily grins, seeing it as a good opportunity to tease. "Hey, Yusuke, if you aren't eating it, I really will eat yours~!"

"I'll eat it!" Yusuke quickly protests, fighting off Tsubaki's fork with his own.

After successfully warding off his teasing older brother, he cuts up a small piece of the cake, then tastes it.

Upon the delicious sensation of bursting flavour, he calls out loudly in bewilderment, "Delicious!"

The siblings laugh at his pure response.

* * *

After a few hours, the party was mostly over, with entertaining chats coming to an end, and photo sessions with Ema the photographer over, but not for the adults. The night was still long, and they were planning on having a drinking party, with the underage siblings shooed off by Masaomi to their rooms, including Ayame and Ema.

The two girls were in Ema's room, looking pitifully at their estranged pet squirrel, Juli.

"Aya-nee..." Ema says with empathetic eyes, "I think we should release him soon."

Ayame sighs, in thinking mode. "I want to, but I'm still worried for the brothers' safety."

"But still...I feel bad for just leaving him in a small, metal cage." Ema reaches out her hand into the cage, scratching Juli's tiny little head. Ayame frowns, looking at the animal who was squeaking at her appealingly. It was hard to believe that an adorable little fluff of fur could be so violent towards males.

"...Maybe soon then." She sighs, though earning a delighted squeal and squeak from Ema and Juli.

"Thank goodness…" Ema presses her palm to her chest with a smile, then mumbling, "…Now he'll stop complaining at night…"

Hearing her statement, Ayame burrows her brows in confusion. "Who's 'he'?"

"Oh, nobody." Ema smiles nervously. Ayame notices her unnatural smile, but lets go of her doubt anyway, hesitantly nodding. The two continue to stare at Juli, with the occasional scratching and patting. As Ayame searches for solutions, a less than merciful one pops into her mind.

"…Ema?" She says, earning her sister's attention.

"Yes?"

"I've been doing some thinking for awhile but, should we get him desexed? Maybe that'll stop him from getting all competitive with young males-"

"You can't!" Ema suddenly shoots up, looking uncharacteristically distressed.

"Eh? But-"

"You can't! You just can't! She yells frantically, and is quickly joined in by a very frightened Juli.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiii!" He screeches, looking very distressed, banging his head profusely on the metal bars.

"Ema, you're making him panic, stop yelling-"

"But you can't! That's just too cruel!" She shouts, then noticing the camera on her bed, "Ah, I know! Here, let's look at the photos! Fun, it'll be fun! Please, let's look!" She begs desperately, wanting to distract her sister from the idea.

"…Sure." Ayame nods slowly, freaked out by her sister's sudden outburst. Ema wipes her sweaty brow, seeming relieved, as is a certain squirrel.

She then plops onto her bed, looking through the photos.

"Ah, here's one of you." Ema says, smiling somewhat mischievously. Feeling suspicious, Ayame bends over her head to look over, and is surprised to find a photo of her feeding Iori a small piece of her cake with a fork.

"E-Ema!" She gasps, faintly red, trying to grab the camera out of her sister's grasp. Ema giggles at her sister's desperate attempt to delete the photo, and scurries over to Juli's cage, passing it to the intelligent squirrel, and covers the opening with her back.

"Ema, delete it!" She says, trying to force the stubborn Ema off the cage. Ema scoots her ears closer to the cage, taking in what her pet squirrel was squeaking at her.

"You got this, Chi? Compromise with Ayame! Say 'In exchange for Juli's much needed freedom, I will delete the photo!'! And don't forget about the de-sexing part, I will never be able to look at myself the same way if that ever happens!" Juli demands, unbeknownst to Ayame.

"In exchange for Juli's much needed freedom, I will delete the photo! And you must promise not to desex him!" She repeats, grinning triumphantly, as she knew her sister was weak against blackmail.

"I got it, I got it! Just give me the camera!" She begs desperately, reaching for the camera.

"Okay!" Ema moves her body away from the opening, then putting her hand in to grab the camera from Juli, secretively receiving a thumbs up from the animal.

Ayame impatiently grabs it away from her sister, quickly deleting the potential blackmail material. Still feeling uneasy, she decides to check through all the photos, earning a giggle from Ema.

"Be quiet, young lady." She scolds, checking the photos.

"It's not _that_ bad, you know." She giggles, "…But still, you two are sticking closer than glue, aren't you?"

Ayame briefly pauses from her checking, tilting her head while staring at her sister with suspicious eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Well…it's just that the two of you are getting along very well. After all…"

"After all?"

"You brought him a cake, and not any for any of the other brothers."

"…Wataru?" Ayame sighs, not seeing where Ema was going.

"I can assume that was just pity cake." Ema explains. Ayame gulps, as she hit bullseye.

"And you're point is?" Ayame says. Ema becomes quiet, seeming to be thinking deeply.

"…Well, that you're very close?" She tilts her head, not seeming sure of her own answer either.

Ayame chuckles at her sister's unsure reply, then going back to checking the photos.

Ema sits in silence, waiting for her sister to finish. Feeling bored, she decides to fiddle around with her phone, but then realizes that it is nowhere to be seen.

"Ah…" She gasps, eliciting Ayame's attention to her.

"What's wrong?" She questions, separating her attention from the camera.

"I think I forgot my cell phone in the living, I'll go get it." She stands up, brushing her skirt. Remembering that the brothers were currently drinking right now, Ayame decides to go, worried for her well-being. After all, when people were drunk they would things that they usually would never do.

She gets up, "Actually, I'll go. They're probably drunk right now, I feel unsafe sending you there."

Ema pouts, feeling unhappy with being treated like a kid. "I'm sixteen now, I can go alone."

"No." Ayame refuses firmly with crossed arms. Ema sighs, as when her sister her sister had her 'firm' voice on, it was usually game over.

Ema sighs, reluctantly retiring back on her carpet floor. Ayame, seeing that she had given in, exits the room to find her sister's cellphone.

After Ayame closes her door, Ema hastily scrambles towards the camera, which was on the floor. Sitting cross-legged, she goes through the camera's leftover photos, checking for any other interesting photos. She frowns, as unfortunately, the other picture of Ayame wiping off cream off of Iori's cheek had seemed to be erased of existence.

"How boring..." Ema pouts, her cheeks reminiscent of Juli's. Juli, seeing her reaction, disses her opinion.

"'Boring, you say, Chii?" He grumbles, taking a nibble of a nut, "Rather, it's ludicrous! What is Ayame thinking...getting taken with a wolf! It's his face, I tell you! He's totally her type, I know from experience!"

Ema giggles softly at her pet's reaction, which she could only take ever so seriously. "But maybe it'll be good for her? Getting closer to another person other than family...though he'll technically will be in a few weeks."

"Perhaps...but it doesn't need to be a wolf!" Juli retorts. Ema sighs, seeing that he still considered her new siblings to be 'wolves'.

"You know, it's exactly because of that stubborn attitude of yours that you got locked up in a cage..."

Juli huffs his chest, seeming to be proud. "If it's to protect you two, I don't care what sort of torture I have to go through!"

Ema stares at her pet blankly, then going back to her camera.

"Hey...what was that look for? Chii? Chii!"

As she goes through the photos with Juli's persistant squeaks in the background, she notices a certain detail.

In every photo Ayame was in, Iori was always in the background, looking at her.

* * *

As Ayame nears her destination, she hears the brothers engage in conversation. Though somewhat far, she manages to catch their words.

"Then, what do you think of them, Subaru?" Tsubaki wraps his arms around Subaru's shoulder, grinning impishly.

"…What do you mean?" Subaru mumbles, meekly avoiding Tsubaki's prying watch.

"So you can't say? See? You _are_ interested, after all!" He lets go off Subaru's shoulder, crossing his arms with a nod. Tsubaki goes closer to his ear, "…Let me guess, the older one? You were staring at her a lot today, after all…" He whispers into Subaru's now reddened ear.

Tsubaki grins devilishly, feeling satisfied with his transparent response, and persists with his harassment. "Nice~! So Subaru likes girls in his age group, huh?"

Seeing as Tsubaki was up to his teasing ways yet again, Ayame sighs.

_Hopefully, it won't be too awkward when I intrude..._ She thinks, taking a step closer, before stopping at Subru's reaction.

Pissed off by his teasing older brother's continuous pestering, Subaru clenches his fist, an irritated scowl creeping up. "That's not it!"

Tsubaki looks over curiously at Subaru, "Then how is it different?"

"Like I said, that is…" Subaru timidly mumbles, then roughly yet hesitantly replying, "To be frank, they're both a nuisance!"

In shock of his words, Ayame's eyes slightly widen, then returning back to normal. After all, they both knew that Subaru wasn't too keen with the idea that two girls prancing into his life. It was understandable, though slightly discouraging. Her lips turn downwards.

Subaru, not realizing that he was just digging his own grave even deeper, carries on insolently. "I-it's been just us guys, then suddenly these girls just suddenly come into the picture…Since they came, I have to be careful when I take a bath, and I can't even take off my shirt for training."

Her lips crease even further. _Even though it was to be expected, it still kinda hurts to hear the words in in person..._

Tsubaki stares at the birthday boy, sipping at his alcoholic beverage. "You can't lie to us, Subaru. Your innocence shows and tells us all. There's no denying it, you like-"

Subaru bangs his glass against the coffee table, causing Tsubaki to stop.

"Like I said! They're a nuisance! Especially the older one!" He yells out, distressed by his brother's persistance with the issue. "She's, really,_ really_ annoying!"

_Annoying? _Ayame's brows furrow. She didn't consider herself annoying, though a little stubborn.

"For example?" Tsubaki says, his palm resting on his cheek.

"It's annoying how-" Subaru abruptly stops, seeing as his example would just raise brows.

_It's annoying how my heart beat increases whenever I'm around her!_

"How, uh...how she..."

He blushes heavily, turning into a tomato. Tsubaki watches Subaru's increasingly red face, grinning silently.

_This is ridiculous..._ Ayame sighs to herself, just about fed up with the situation, _I guess I'll have lie to Ema about her phone..._

She turns on her heel, slowly walking away.

"…I'm going to wash my face." Subaru whispers tiredly, only audible to the brothers.

He walks up the stairs, but halts abruptly; shocked by the presence of Ayame, who was walking away.

"Ah...!" He gasps out, realizing on what he had done. Ayame stops in her tracks, looking back to face Subaru.

He shivers at her icy yet saddened stare, then rushing to apologize, "Ah, I'm really-"

"-I'm not going to call you insensitive, because that would just be hypocritical." She whispers. At her sad tone, Subaru feels even guiltier.

"...After all, I was also uncomfortable with moving in with the opposite gender, and I'm sure that also applied for you too. I don't really mind that you think I'm annoying, I really don't at all. However," She looks down, "It's seems that you also have an issue with our little sister also. That, I do have a little problem with."

She pauses. "For the past few days, she's been worrying consistently about how you view her. She's been feeling bad and guilty that you haven't been able to relax around us, so she's been trying to make you feel comfortable around us, thus the cake."

Ayame raises her head, meeting her eyes with his. "She tried hard to make you a perfect cake, you know. She went around to ask a few of our brothers on what sort of cake you'd like, thinking of your taste-buds, and even consulted a professional baker for advice. Which, in my opinion, was a little excessive." Ayame smirks sadly, thinking of her perfectionist sister. "...Though, to her disappointment, you didn't seem to be very esctatic, even after her hard work."

Subaru returns her stare with wide eyes, not averting his gaze as per usual. Upon her sentence sinking in, he looks down shamefully.

"...I'm really sorry." He mutters. Now that she had gave him a piece of her mind, she feels bad, and works up a weary smile.

"No, it's fine. I'm making this out to be a pity-Ema fest, aren't I? I'm sorry, it's a habit ever since I was little." She says, smiling sadly. "...Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm feeling a little tired out."

Ayame walks off silently, leaving Subaru to be alone.

"Ah..." Subaru gasps out, his arm reaching out for her disappearing silhouette. With Ayame gone, Subaru looks down to the wooden floor, his mistake begining to torment him.

"...Dammit it all!" He whispers harshly, his fists clenching. As if he were chasing after the ball, he runs off, chasing after her.

Seeing that they were both gone, Tsubaki and Azusa speak up from the stairwell, as they both went up after hearing Subaru's surprised gasp, and the words of a certain female's voice.

"...There goes Subaru's lovey dovey springtime." Tsubaki grits his teeth, feeling a teensy bit guilty for ruining the possibility of Subaru courting his probable love interest.

"I suppose," Azusa nods, his arms crossed. He looks over to Tsubaki, who was wearing a slightly worried expression. "...Do you want to go after them?"

"...Sure, for my socially awkward brother." Tsubaki replies. Receiving his answer, Azusa nods. The two walk out of the space, towards Ayame's room.

* * *

"Haa..." Ayame sighs, resting on her bed. Guilt was starting to waft over her. He probably didn't mean it, although around 60% was probably true. As she lay on her autumn themed cover, a prompt knock on the door interrupts her thoughts. Though not clear, it was either Subaru, who had came to apologize, or Ema, who was wondering on what took her so long. That, she knew.

Sighing heavily, she gets up from her bed, walking towards the door. She prepares a smile, just in case it was Subaru.

She opens the door, and, as she predicted, is greeted by the sight of the apologetic looking birthday boy.

"Hello," she greets, "Here to apologize, I see?"

Subaru looks down awkwardly and nods. She smiles, "There's no need. You did apologize earlier, after all."

To her surprise, Subaru whips his head up, desperation and determination flashing in his eyes. "No!" He yells out, a bit too loudly to his liking. Embarassed, he averts his gaze, his eyes flicking around. "...W-What I mean is, uh...I'm, really sorry. I didn't mean it -at all." He pauses, taking a small breath. Ayame waits for him to continue.

"...What I want for you to get out of this is that, I don't think you're annoying or a nuisance at all -and neither is your younger sister. I...was just a little tipsy. Not that I'm trying to make up an excuse..." He mumbles, looking down in shame. Ayame stares at him. His apology was genuine yet awkward, which was a little charming in it's own right.

Finding his apology to be kind of cute, Ayame chuckles at him softly, covering her mouth with her hand politely. Subaru stares at her bewilderedly, secretly panicking on the inside. Was his apology laughable? Did he screw up somehow? He found himself full of those thoughts. Girls were mystical beings that he never understood, even as a young boy. As she continues to giggle, he finds himself to be strangely entranced by her chuckles, which were now sounding quite...endearing.

He tenses up, the thought tormenting him. _Endearing? Why would I think that?_

"Uh...um," He mumbles, unsure on what to do in such a situation. Ayame stops her soft laughter, looking up to the taller man.

"How about we compromise?" She says, looking up to him with a cheeky gleam.

Subaru tilts his head, "C-compromise?"

She smiles at him, "Yes, compromise." she repeats, placing her hands behind her back. "In exchange for my forgiveness, you must promise to less awkward, more friendly and more comfortable around us, especially Ema. For example, if you see her, greet her first. Show her that her hard work wasn't for nothing."

Subaru stares at her for a few more seconds, then nodding. "S-sure."

Ayame smiles contently, placing her hand on his shoulder. He flinches at her touch, a faint blush emerging across his cheeks.

Smiling, she thinks to herself, _I guess we'll have to take babysteps. _

Realizing that Subaru was staring at her, she widens her smile encouragingly. Immediately, his blush deepens, and he reflexively walks back, but, being the clutz he was, he trips over his feet. In an effort for him to not fall over, Ayame tugs at his hoodie with all her might. However, instead of saving him from falling, all she manages to do is change the direction of his fall -which was towards herself.

"...Ugh!" She grunts, and braces herself for impact, tensing her body expectantly. With a loud 'bang', Subaru's sluggish body arrives on her slender one, squishing Ayame in between his arms.

"Ooo..." She groans. The sudden pressure of having a seventy-kilo basketball player's weight was not pleasant. "...Subaru-kun, are you okay?"

He raises his head sluggishly, his eyes looking drained out. Suddenly, his head drops, landing his lips on hers. Ayame's eyes widen, her face turning blue. Was this what she thought it was?

Frozen, she lay there, emotionless, unable to process what was going on. Howver, the voice of two men and one girl make her snap out of it.

"Hey!" Tsubaki yells out. Azusa shortly appears behind him, with an expression of disapproval on his face. Behind him, was Ema, with Juli in tow. Juli squeaks crazily from Ema's shoulder, seeming to be enraged.

"See? I told you, Chii!" He squeaks angrily, stomping on her shoulder, looking ready to pounce on him at any moment.

Ema, not wanting him to be locked up again, quickly traps him in between her hands, to Juli's anger.

"What are you doing?" Azusa says. The twins haul Subaru off of Ayame while Ema offers her hand to her sister. Ayame accepts her offer graciously. Now standing, Ayame looks down to Subaru, who was sprawled across the floor, carelessly sleeping.

She sighs upon the sight. Ema looks over at her sister, "Are you okay? I got worried because you were so late..."

Ayame wearily shakes her head, her hand resting on her forehead. Ema stares at her for a few seconds. Blushing faintly, she speaks up, "U-uh, Aya-nee?"

"Yes?" She says, tilting her head slightly.

"...W-were...you two k-kissing?" Ema's words turn whispery, her cheeks flushing darker. Ayame's cheeks synchronizes with hers. "N-no!" She replies in a whisper.

Ema looks down bashfully, mumbling "T-then, what _were_ you doing?"

Ayame gulps. Technically, that was _exactly _what they were doing, but it felt strange to call it that. Hesitantly, she replies, crossing her arms. "B-brushing lips."

Ema gasps, her face as red as red can be. "S-so you did...!"

Ayame grumbles, trying to hide her embarassment.

Sighing, the two twins turn back. Their lips crease into a warm and comforting smile.

"Listen-" Azusa starts off, then continued by Tsubaki, "-forget about what Subaru said."

Ayame freezes. Were they going to talk about it in front of Ema?

She looks over to Ema, who seemed completely calm and knowing of the situation. Ema, noticing Ayame's nervous glance, smiles reassurringly. "...Tsubaki-san and Azusa-san told me."

Ayame stares at her for a few seconds, before returning her attention to the twins.

"Everyone thinks of you guys as important siblings." Azusa confirms.

"It's because I kept on teasing him like that, he said those words. He doesn't actually think that." Tsubaki says, taking the blame.

Ayame shakes her head, "There's no need to soften the blow. After all, I doubt those words were all lies."

Tsubaki laughs awkwardly, as he too knew that Subaru wasn't completely lying.

Azusa turns his gaze to the unconscious Subaru, "But still…why did this happen?" He wonders.

"Yeah," Tsubaki says, then looking at Ayame, "Did Subaru come on to you?" Tsubaki asks, debating on the inside whether Subaru had the actual guts to do such a thing- even if he were drunk.

Ayame sighs before replying. "No, he just had a little fall. I think he drank too much."

"Yeah...Subaru's not too strong with alcohol, despite his looks." Tsubaki nods his head, sighing in agreement.

"So basically, an accident…?" Azusa concludes, his hand on his chin. Tsubaki turns back, hand on hip, grinning mischievously. "Well, just because it was an accident, he'd better not think that all is forgiven."

"Tsubaki-san…" Ayame sighs, and receives a playful grin from Tsubaki.

"Okay, okay. Well, good night. We're gonna go throw this idiot out. See you~!" He grins, then grabbing Subaru's legs, and Azusa, his arms.

They say their goodbyes, leaving the two girls to themselves.

Ema peeks at Ayame, a small, cheeky grin creeping up. "So…did you enjoy it?"

"Ema!" Ayame immediately scolds with a dark blush, slapping her sister on the shoulder lightly

* * *

Morning comes, and Ayame arrives in the living, feeling refreshed after a hot shower. Surprisingly, the living room was mostly bare, the only presence seeming to be Azusa and Tsubaki.

"Good morning." She greets. Tsubaki smiles cheerfully, "Good morning~!"

"Sorry about yesterday." Azusa says, apologizing for Subaru. She shakes her head, "Not at all."

"We made sure to get revenge for you, so you can rest in peace." Tsubaki cheekily grins. Ayame frowns slightly, as she had requested for him to do nothing.

"What did you do now?" She sighs. Tsubaki chuckles lightly, "I don't think you would want to see it, but if you wish to witness my masterpiece...he's behind the coach."

Ayame peeks at the edge of the lounge, where two long legs were sprawled out. Sighing, she goes closer, and gasps at the sight.

It was Subaru, yet not Subaru, with his face almost unrecognisable. His face was covered with profanities and vulger imagery, such as the genetalia of the human reproductory system. She glares at the two,"You two..."

"It was all Tsubaki, I was just the witness." Azusa coolly lies. Tsubaki, who was not happy to be treated as the only perpatrator, quickly goes to his defense. "Hey, Azusa~! Don't lie, you drew all the-"

Tsubaki stops his sentence as Subaru grumbles, seeming to be waking up. He peeks his head over, "Oh, is Mr. Sleepyhead finally waking up? About time, if you ask me."

Ayame quickly croaches down to Subaru. "Subaru-kun? How do you feel? Do you have a hangover?"

Ayame supports him as he rises up with a groan. He seperates his hand from his face, then meeting Ayame's expectant stare. He flinches at her unexpected presence.

"Y-You?" He mumbles, looking at her with widened eyes.

Ayame smiles kindly, "You fainted last night after drinking too much. Do you remember anything?"

He looks down, memories stubbornly not popping up. However, after awhile of digging through, his memories start to come back quickly, evident by his increasingly darkening cheeks and nervous expression.

Ayame looks at him awkwardly, as she could tell that he remembered a certain memory that frankly, they both wanted to forget.

"I-I-I...!" He fails to muster the words, so instead, he goes on his knees, bowing his head.

"I-I'm really sorry!" Subaru yells from the ground.

Ayame pats him on the back. "It's okay, Subaru-kun. You can raise your head."

He raises his head, though still maintaining his pose. "B-but..."

"It didn't really bother me that much, Subaru-kun, so there's no worries." She smiles comfortingly. After all, it wasn't as if it was her first kiss, so what gives? It was also accidental.

"...Eh?" Subaru mumbles, his expression dropping, seeming to be disappointed by her apathetic reaction. Suddenly, a new voice enters the mix.

"Ah, Ayame-san. Good morning." Ukyo greets, carrying a basket full of sheets and clothing. Ayame looks back, greeting the lawyer with a bright smile. "Good morning." She pauses, taking note of the basket, "Are you about to do the laundry?"

Ukyo smiles back, "Yes. If you can, can you hang these for me? I've got my hands quite full this morning with breakfast, you see."

"Of course. The rooftop is where you hang laundry, right?" Ayame happily accepts, then getting up. Brushing her jeans, she says her goodbyes before walking off with the basket.

"Well, see you later, Subaru-kun." She smiles warmly.

Subaru stares at her blankly as she exits the room together with Ukyo, who was going to the kitchen.

With a frown present, his expression turns dark.

_...So she doesn't care about it at all, huh?_

Tsubaki, who observed the interaction between the two the whole time, whispers into Azusa's ear. "...I think he's friend-zoned."

"...Or rather, brother-zoned." Azusa whispers back secretively.

Feeling slightly depressed, Subaru looks out to the window desolately. Upon seeing his reflection, he gasps loudly.

"What the-"

_Oops. _The twins think, then sneaking out of the room like ninjas, leaving Subaru alone to cringe at the fact he was talking to her with a dick on his cheek.


	8. Chapter 7: Don't drink, Kids

A few days passed ever since Subaru's awkward incident with Ayame, and the air around the two were unfortunately -for some reason- very awkward.

Of course, Ayame had already forgiven him, and tried to speak to him multiple times, but in response, he would just either nod awkwardly or just look away from her. Additionally, whenever she tried to encourage him to speak to her, he would just nod again and mumble an excuse on the spot and run away.

It was confusing. Why was he had suddenly acting that way? He didn't seem upset when she first spoke to him. Did she say something wrong? In the end, Ayame had decided to give him some space. After all, why should she force him to talk to her? Plus, it was highly unlikely that he was going to ignore her forever.

Ayame sighs tiredly; feeling stressed over Subaru's continuous avoidance and a long day at her top-notch university. She was in the city, walking home from class. It was late, around seven pm, with sunlight being replaced by illuminated street lights.

Strangers surrounded her, most being tired salary men, who were either going home to their families or drinking after a tiring day at work- the latter probably being the majority.

Just as she continues to walk the streets, the familiar sound of pounding footsteps approaches her, alarming Ayame.

_Could it be...? _She swiftly looks back, and curses upon her gut feeling being correct.

"A-ya-chan~!" Yukina erupts from nowhere, attempting to bump her hip against Ayame's, but is swiftly dodged by the ex-soccer club member.

However, her hardy efforts are turned to dust, as Yukina -just as skilfully- regains her balance, then pouncing on the disgruntled Ayame.

"Heh, did you really think you would be able to escape from me? My, my, you really haven't learned anything from all the time you've known me, have you? Mwahaha~!" She snickers triumphantly, vigorously squeezing Ayame.

"Yukina, let go!" She demands hastily, the stares she was receiving from strangers unerving her. Ignoring her request, Yukina stubbornly clings onto Ayame, still laughing.

Ayame gives up, patiently waiting for the bubbly girl to let go. As Yukina continues to hug her as she excitedly tells her stories about her day, Ayame notices the aroma of masculine cologne clinging onto Yukina's clothing.

"...So early in the night, and you've already sunk your claws?" Ayame sighs.

Yukina stops her chatter, and smiles impishly. "It's never too early to indulge in some pleasures."

Ayame sighs wearily, to which Yukina just giggles. She lets go of Ayame, smiling at her friend. Seeing this as a perfect opportunity, Ayame devises a plan.

"Ah, a hot guy." Ayame blurts out, her gaze wondering off behind Yukina. Of course, no such guy existed, but it was enough for a distraction.

Just as she expected, Yukina turns around, "Eh? Where?"

Ayame backs off slowly, step by step, but just as she attempts to run, Yukina grabs her wrist.

Grinning knowingly, Yukina looks back.

"Sorry but I've already ate my meal for today." She rubs her belly. Seeing that she had no escape, Ayame gives in.

"What do you want from me this time?" She grumbles, sliding off Yukina's grip. "Cleaning? Food? _Money?" _

Yukina puffs up her cheeks, seeming to be offended by her indictment. "Hey! You know fully that I've never _ever_ borrowed even one cent of money from you. Even if I were to borrow, I would from my, devotees, excuse you."

"'Devotees'? Creative way to put it." Ayame says sarcastically, crossing her arms. Yukina laughs triumphantly as she tilts her head up, her hands on her hips.

"Anyhow, if it's not any of those, what is it?" Ayame reverts to the main topic. Yukina stops her proud laughter, and smiles innocently at Ayame.

"Let's go drinking. For old time's sake."

Ayame blinks, then frowning. "You _do _know that I still haven't turned twenty yet, right?"

"I know, but ever since you moved out, we haven't seen each other as much! At this rate, we'll drift apart..." Yukina pouts, putting on her puppy face.

Ayame winces slightly, as puppy faces and tears were her weakness. She grumbles, as she looks up to the dark sky, contemplating on whether she should go. Yukina stares at the pondering girl, smiling a mysterious and nonexistent smile.

"...Plus, you seem pretty worn out recently." She adds in, whispering while looking down. Ayame quickly stops her thoughts, now staring at the knowing girl.

_...So that's the real reason she invited me._

She turns quiet, as she knew the girl had noticed her weary self, no matter how good she had concealed it.

At first glance, Yukina seemed like the usual ignorant college student, but in reality, she was smart -perhaps even cunning. Just one quick glance, and she could immediately tell a person's emotional state, whether positive or negative.

Seeing that she was causing her friend worry, Ayame begrudgingly agrees to accompany her, feeling a bit guilty.

"Fine." She heaves a sigh, one hand on her hip.

Yukina squeals in delight, pumping her fist victoriously in the air. "Yay! Aya-chan, you're the best-"

"But you're paying for my meal."

Upon hearing her comment, Yukina quickly sulks. "...Stingy."

"That's the least you could do, after all those times I've saved you from trouble." Ayame argues with narrowed brows.

Yukina giggles softly, agreeing. "Yep!"

* * *

"One large beer, please!" Sitting on the bar stool, Yukina shouts loudly, trying to get her voice heard over the loud chatter the surrounding drunks were indulging themselves in. The bartender takes her order politely with a mandatory smile, filling her glass with beer.

"So, what about you, Aya-chan? Want some orange juice?" As she waits, Yukina teases Ayame with a cheeky grin.

"No thank you, the water's enough." Ayame replies calmly, flipping through the menu.

They were at the izakaya, 'Golden Time', a place where tired salary men and poor college students alike came to drink their stresses away. It was a pleasant place, the food simple and cheap yet appetizing, with dishes such as yakitori and sashimi served.

And most importantly, it was a place of socializing while drinking with friends or colleagues.

The waiter comes back, passing her the Sapporo beer with a polite smile. Yukina thanks him briefly, then expectantly proceeding to gulp it without restraint.

Ayame watches her companion with blanky, as she had gotten accustomed to her drinking ways after living with her for a year or so. Although Yukina had a petite figure, she was a _very_ strong drinker, and could drink at least seven shots in at least ten minutes without passing out.

In only two gulps, she manages to finish the L-sized beer glass, gasping contently.

"Phew...One more, please!" She calls out to the bartender, who looked quite dazed, though quickly serving her another serving nevertheless. He quickly serves her another L-sized beer glass, to Yukina's delight.

She hums happily, proceeding to devour another glass, the burning sensation of bitter alcohol rushing down through her slender throat.

"This is the stuff!" She praises, gazing at the mostly empty glass admiringly.

"...You know, I think you're enjoying this more than me." Ayame sighs, her hand resting on her cheek.

"Then have some! It's good for relieving stress and drowning away your sorrows!" Smiling widely, Yukina pushes the glass up in Ayame's face, to her irritation.

"Sorry, but I like obeying the law." She says, pushing the beer glass away, rebuffing Yukina's offer.

"Pshh, don't act as if you haven't drunk before. After all, I _was _there to witness your drunken self one time." She teases; now chugging down the half-drunken glass.

"I've quit. I realized alcohol does me more harm than good." She reveals bitterly, thinking back to the time she told her father about her little doctor visit. Yukina chuckles knowingly.

Soon, the conversation dies out, as Yukina continues to order more liquor, slacking in the food department. Feeling slightly peckish, Ayame decides to order some edamame for the both of them. Just as she attempts to order, new customers enter the izakaya, making the bell ring.

"Welcome!" A female waiter greets politely. Ayame looks up from her menu, her eyes widening upon the identity of the customers- or more specifically, customer.

"So, where do you wanna sit, Suba-chan?" A tall, athletic-looking man asks Subaru.

"You can decide, Senpai." Subaru replies politely, his hands in his pockets.

Yukina, upon noticing Ayame's gawk, quickly comments. "Huh, what's wrong? You know them?"

"Well, one of them..." She whispers, hoping to not get his attention. "...is my step-brother, Subaru."

"Eh? Seriously? Which one?" Yukina yells excitedly from the top of her lungs, earning the attention of nearby customers, including Subaru and company.

Ayame groans and covers her face with the menu, feeling Subaru's shocked gaze on her.

"You..." He mutters, then shying away as Yukina stares at him curiously with a sly grin.

"Subaru-kun, come over here! Aya-chan's waiting~!" Yukina shouts cheerfully, patting the two open barstools while waving enthusiastically.

Subaru nervously flinches at the cute stranger's demand, timidly looking down on the ground. His companion leans his arm on Subaru, whistling, feeling impressed of his usually socially-awkward junior.

"Suba-chan, you're pretty good. They're both high-quality beauts." He praises, staring at the two fairly attractive college girls.

"...No, I only know one, and you've got the wrong idea, Senpai." Subaru mumbles, still looking down.

Yukina giggles impishly, then whispering into the hiding Ayame's ear, "A shy boy, huh? I can work with that."

Coming out of her cave, Ayame quickly pulls Yukina's cheek, annoyedly replying, "I believe I've warned you the other day."

Whining, Yukina nods her head, begging for Ayame to let go. After she lets go, Yukina pouts, rubbing her throbbing cheek. Noticing that Subaru was still frozen in his spot, she persistently continues.

"Hey, are you coming over?" Yukina asks, beckoning them to come over with a cute pout.

Slightly blushing, Subaru weakly shakes his head, awkwardly mumbling up an inaudible excuse. However, just as he attempts to run away, his companion calmly locks him in a headlock, forcibly dragging him over to the two girls.

"S-Senpai!" Subaru gasps, trying to writhe out of his grip.

"You said that I get to pick where we sit -I say we sit here." The brunette replies coolly, then politely beckoning the girls to scoot over with a charming smile, meeting with Ayame's almond eyes with interest. Ayame nods politely, though feeling slightly uncomfortable on the inside.

Without a choice, Subaru begrudgingly sits next to Ayame.

"H-Hello." Ayame greets hesitantly with a forced smile, to which she just receives an indifferent nod. She sighs disappointedly, looking down the menu again.

Sensing the weird feel around the two, Yukina, who was squished at the farthest end, starts conversation in hopes of thawing the awkward mood.

"Sorry to call you two guys out over here, even though we're practically strangers." She bows her head slightly, her behaviour completely different as before.

"Not at all. It feels nice to be called over by beautiful girls." The companion jokes, maintaining his charming smile. Subaru groans in embarrassment, while Ayame stares at him cautiously.

_...The flirty type? _

Yukina accepts his flirt, teasingly slapping him on the shoulder. He laughs politely, then getting down to business "All jokes aside, who are you two?"

"Ah, how rude of me. I'm Yukina Shishido, a second year at Shiba Women's College." She introduces herself politely, contrasting to her usual untamed manner...which only meant one thing: she was out on the prowl.

Ayame sighs, as knew from experience that she would probably witness something less than appropriate along the road.

Subaru's senior whistles with admiration, as Shiba was one of the most prestigious universities in Tokyo.

"To attend Shiba, you must be very smart." He comments. Yukina politely refuses his praise, laughing cutely. "No, I'm in the art department, so I'm not really that smart."

_Liar. _Ayame thinks to herself, quietly sipping water from her glass, as Yukina -despite majoring in art- was indeed very intelligent, scoring amongst the top ranks in exams.

"So you're gifted as well as smart. That's amazing." He praises. Yukina giggles, and asks him a question that had been bothering Ayame for a while also.

"So, what about you? Are you Subaru's friend?" Yukina questions, already using his first name, to which Subaru flinches out of discomfort.

He smiles, as he expected the question. "I'm Kazumasa Murano, a third-year at Meiji. I'm the captain and point-guard of the basketball club, which Subaru is in. So basically, his senior."

Yukina's face brightens up, clasping her hands together. "Wow, that's amazing! I've heard a lot of great things about Meiji's basketball team's prowess. To think that I'd meet the captain, I'm honoured!"

Kazumasa laughs, then politely denying her praise. "We've still got a long way to go. Right, Suba-chan?"

Subaru nods slightly, avoiding his gaze. Kazumasa smiles tolerantly, then taking notice of Ayame, who was looking through the menu, with a somewhat elegant and mature charm.

He tilts his head to Ayame, wearing a polite smile. "Leaving that aside, what about you?" He asks, keenly staring at her.

Ayame slightly bows her head, then proceeding to introduce herself. "I'm Ayame Hinata, Subaru's step-sister. Like Yukina, I'm also a second year at Shiba, though I major in biology."

Kazumasa hums impressedly, then reaching out to slap Subaru on the back. "Good for you, huh?" He whispers, slightly grinning. Subaru, though feeling uncomfortable with his comment, politely nods his head to his senior.

Seeing as Subaru was probably not up for introducing himself, Kazumasa sympathetically skips him over.

"Well, with introductions over, how about we start eating? It'll be my treat." Kazumasa generously offers, smiling at the girls.

Her true colours coming out, Yukina graciously accepts, clinging onto his arm, her chest sensually rubbing against his well-built arm. "Wah, thank you so much!"

Kazumasa cautiously looks down to her shapely chest, before returning his gaze to meet her mesmerising watch.

"You're welcome." He calmly replies, smiling at her.

If she could, Ayame would've face palmed. As to compensate, Ayame hits herself with the menu.

Nobody notices, with the exception of Subaru, who stares at her cautiously with a confused look in his eyes. The four college students begin to order heavy alcohol and light dishes, with the exception of the underage Ayame.

* * *

"So, how many people have you slept with?" The now completely intoxicated Kazumasa asks, his dirty side completely out in the open.

"More than all these people combined!" Yukina, who was also completely drunk, shouts out gleefully without a care in the world, earning -for the umpteenth time- alienated stares from the entire room.

Ayame, who was of course completely sober, rubs her temple stressfully.

Why had she come here in the first place, anyway?

Instead of relieving stress, her stress was increasing by the minute, as Yukina and Kazumasa would shout out sexual innuendoes at each other then snickering like idiots, earning unwanted attention to the quartet.

Though, she had to admit, she was pretty amazed that he could keep up with Yukina's drinking speed, which was quite the feat.

Subaru, on the other hand, was silently sipping at his third beer, which was nothing compared to the duo's fifteen or so glass', which were a wide variety of liquor, such as shochu, chuhai, sake and whisky.

Things with Subaru were still very much the same, even with the drunken and light-hearted setting. He would not talk nor budge. If somebody tried to engage conversation with him, he would just merely nod, not uttering a single word.

Ayame sighs, wondering on whether she should just leave. After all, it wasn't like she was particularly enjoying herself, even with the promised free meal.

Just as she continues to think while poking at her karaage, Kazumasa turns the conversation towards her.

"So, what about Aya-chan?" He questions vaguely with a naughty grin, a half-empty glass in his hand.

_Aya-chan? _

She controls her urge to cringe, seeing it as impolite, even for a drunk. And more importantly, what did he mean by 'what about you?'.

He couldn't of have meant the previous question, even if he were drunk.

"Excuse me, but what do you mean?" She asks for clarification, tilting her head.

He snickers, then leaning closer to whisper in her ear. "Sex. How many people have you slept with?"

"...Excuse me?" She mutters, sightly horrified and bewildered at his inappropriate question.

He only chuckles, then repeating the question, this time more loudly. "S-E-X. How many?"

Ayame stares at him warily, then proceeding to defend herself. "I'm sorry, but that is personal information that I just can't afford to hand out freely."

He stares at her for while before eventually laughing. "Come on, it's not _that _personal. We're all of age, after all."

Yukina stares at him quietly, observing him with a warning look, unbeknownst to him.

Kazumasa, not noticing the dangerous glare he was receiving, continues on.

"Why can't you tell me?" He persists, taking a sip of his sake.

"As I said, that is personal information." She sharpens her tone, narrowing her eyes.

"Aya-chan, no need to be so offended. It's just a question born out of human curiosity." He leans closer, calling her 'Aya-chan' yet again. Ayame shuffles around, trying to escape from his increasingly closing proximity.

In normal circumstances, she would've definitely slapped him, but he was Subaru's senior and basketball captain. If she got physical, how would Subaru look? It would make things awkward for Subaru if his sibling picked a fight with someone he saw every day. If that happened, there was a chance of Subaru avoiding her for even longer and possibly ending up hating her. That, she wanted to avoid.

Taking that in mind, she sucks it up and settles with defending herself verbally.

Kazumasa smirks at her uncomfortable self, then whispering yet again in her ear. "...Let me guess, you're a virgin?"

Her eyes dialate at his blunt guess, then clicking her tongue, knowing that things were about to get out of hand.

"I think you've drunk too much today, Murano-san. You should go home." She advises composedly, wanting to get out of this situation as soon as possible.

Ignoring her advice, Kazumasa babbles on. "Talk about unexpected. I totally thought that you were experienced, with your looks, you know?"

_With your looks? _She holds back her urge to kick him. Was he implying she looked slutty? To make sure, she looks down to her clothing, which were barely showing any skin.

Not noticing her angered look, he care-freely wraps his arm around her slender waist, hugging it tightly.

"But don't worry. I'm okay either way. Contrary to my appearance, I can be very gentle -or rough, if you want."

_That's it. _

Something in Ayame snaps in that moment, and just as she moves her leg to kick over his bar stool, she flinches from the loud 'thud' of a beer glass, banged strongly on the table.

Everybody- including the customers and workers- turn to look.

"...Senpai," Subaru whispers threateningly, with a livid look in his eyes. "Please- just leave it at that."

The three stare at him, surprised with his strong reaction.

Yukina, who was just about to stop the drunk before things got out of hand, stares at Subaru for a few seconds before smiling mysteriously.

_So that's how things are, huh?_

Kazumasa, who seemed to cool down a little after Subaru silent protest, quickly apologizes. "Ah...I'm really sorry, Hinata-san. I really am drunk." He apologizes, rubbing his forehead with his palm.

Ayame forces a smile. "It's fine. When you're drunk, you do or say things you usually wouldn't do after all."

At her comment, Subaru flinches slightly.

"Even so, I'm really sorry." Kazumasa gets off the bar stool, then bowing respectfully to Ayame.

Ayame accepts his apology, then asking him to raise his head. Grabbing his bag, he smiles at her with his usual charming smile.

"I'll be going now, I think I've overstayed my welcome. Sorry to you too, Suba-chan." He sends Subaru an apologetic smile. Subaru, now cooled down, slowly nods his head, avoiding eye contact.

Just as Kazumasa attempts to walk away, he feels something soft cling onto his arm. Curious, he peeks down, and is greeted by Yukina's mischievous smile.

"Your walk is unstable, Kazu-kun. How about I take you home? If it's not a bother, of course." She smiles at him innocently, though under her mask, devilishly.

Kazumasa takes the hint, then smiling just as cheekily as she. "...Sure."

_There she goes. _Ayame sips at her glass of water, awkwardly eying the exiting two. _And so much for 'already ate my meal'._

She takes a peek at Subaru, who was oddly tense. She sighs at the sight. Even after standing up for her, he was still avoidant.

Deciding that in order to dissolve the awkward air around the two, she would have to talk, she begins small-talk. "I guess it's just us, huh?"

He nods.

Sighing, she persists. "Is the beer good?"

He nods.

_Jesus Christ. _

Though slightly discouraged, she keeps it up. "Thank you for helping me earlier, I wouldn't of have known what to do if you weren't there."

Surprisingly, he reacts -though not in a way she wanted. With a somewhat sombre expression, he mumbles, "...Why didn't you defend yourself?"

"...Excuse me?" She says, shocked and confused with his words. He only mumbles quietly, taking a mouthful of beer.

Irritated that he refused to respond after accusing her, she persists. "Well? What do you mean by that?"

"You...didn't even try to resist." He prickly mutters, his hand tensely wrapped around the handle of his glass.

"...Are you blind? I clearly stated my discomfort and defended myself." Ayame argues, clearly offended. "Or do I have to get physical in order to appear to defend myself? Seriously, this is why men are..."

Ayame didn't like the way things were going, and knew she had to control her temper, but her when her pride was hurt, it was uncontrollable.

Subaru only grumbles, looking down at the ground. However, his timidness instead infuriates her even more, as she was fed up with his constant avoiding.

"Subaru, let me get to the bottom of this, why are you acting so awkward around me recently? If it's about the kiss, for the hundreth time, I _don't_ care about it."

"...That's the problem." He whispers silently, looking down with a disappointed gleam in his eyes. But of course, Ayame catches it.

"What do you mean? I'm having trouble understanding your point." She says, leaning closer. Subaru blushes faintly at her proximity, shrinking back.

Seeing that they were back at stage one, Ayame leans away from him, sighing.

They both turn quiet, creating an awkward atmosphere, with the only sounds made between them sipping at their beverages or chewing their food.

Feeling slightly calmer, Ayame speaks up. "...If you're mad that I didn't push him away or something, it was because I was worried for you."

Subaru stops sipping his beer, staring at Ayame with widened eyes that were asking 'Why?'

To his answer his questioning eyes, she continues. "I did have the urge to punch him in the face, but I held it back because it would come back to you. After all, he _is_ the captain of your basketball team. It would be awkward for you and him if every time you saw each other, you would think of the time the step-sister hit him."

Blushing faintly, he looks down guiltily. "You...didn't need to worry about that. Despite how he was acting, when he's sober he's an understanding guy."

Ayame looks at him, smiling slightly. "I see. I'm sorry for worrying you, then."

Once again, the two melt into silence. After a while of fidgeting around, Subaru breaks the silence. "I'm...sorry for avoiding you these past few days."

Ayame blinks, then sighing a breath of relief. Finally, the awkwardness was coming to an end. "If you promise to not act so awkward from now on, I completely forgive you."

Subaru smiles quietly yet warmly. "...Sure."

Ayame melts into her seat, her hand resting on her face, covering her relieved smile. She continues to stay in that position before eventually coming back up.

She meets his stare, to which Subaru blushes. "But still, why _were_ you avoiding me?"

Subaru flinches, his already flushed face turning even redder. He averts his gaze, looking away from Ayame.

"That...I can't say right now." He mutters. Ayame, though very curious, decides to let it go. After all, they had just made up. Why should she destroy this newly established peace?

"Okay, I'll let you off for now. But by right now, that means you'll be able to tell me one day, right?" She grins at him.

Subaru stares at her for a few seconds, before eventually looking down with a warm smile, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks. "...Yeah."

Ayame nods in response, then checking the time.

_11:05_

"It's already this time, let's go home-" Just as she attempts to inform him, a loud 'thud' disrupts her sentence. Cautiously, Ayame peeks at Subaru, who had fainted. His head was against the table and his limbs were limp, as if he were a sleeping baby.

Ayame covers her face, groaning with irritation. "Not this again..."

_Does this mean I have to drag him out? _She sweats nervously at the thought. There was no way she was able to carry him home with her flimsy arms, which were practically like spaghetti.

She thinks of getting one of the brothers to pick them up, but then decides against it. After all, she didn't have a phone and she didn't know Subaru's password either. Most importantly, they were all probably asleep, or were getting ready for bed.

_I'll just get a taxi. _She thinks, remembering the amount of money she was carrying -which wasn't much, but just enough for a short taxi ride.

She hoists Subaru's body over her shoulder. At the sudden weight, her knees nearly give in, but she gets up again, focusing all of her strength.

Just as she attempts to exit the izakaya, a nervous waitress stops her fretfully.

"Um- excuse me miss, but-" She mumbles, twiddling her fingers. Ayame turns around to meet her darting eyes, wondering why she had stopped her. "Yes?"

"-Your, bill..." She mutters, a receipt in her hand. Ayame stares at it blankly, her glasses slightly drooping down her nose.

"...Huh?"

* * *

With Subaru still fainted on her shoulder, Ayame trudges her way through the streets while grunting.

Due to Kazumasa forgetting to pay the bill, Ayame had to use up all of her money in order for the workers to let her go, leaving no cent for a taxi.

Ayame wearily checks her watch.

_11:32_

She sighs, as she knew she wasn't going to get a goodnight sleep. She was still nowhere near home, as she took frequent breaks in order to retain her stamina.

Ayame takes a peek at Subaru, who had no signs of waking up.

"Please wake up soon..." She mutters under her breath, then shuffling his position that would benefit her comfort.

For a few more minutes, she continues to walk, but then stumbles over upon Subaru's dragging leg tripping her over.

She curses, then checking her wound. Her kneecap was bleeding, and had multiple bloody scratches upon the friction of the concrete that grazed her skin.

She winces at the sight, then sighing. For awhile, she just stays there, washing off her wound with her water bottle.

Suddenly, an unknown silver car pulls up to them, alarming Ayame. She cautiously eyes the car, watching its every movement.

The driver opens the car window, revealing a familiar yet new face.

"...Subaru?" The orange-haired man says, easing Ayame's suspicion.

As if the voice triggered something in him, Subaru dazedly wakes up for a second, then subsequently vomiting on Ayame. After committing the heinous act, Subaru immediately returns to sleep, leaving the two horrified.

As the man stares at Ayame mortifiedly, Ayame freezes in her spot, wearing an unreadable expression.

_...I will never **ever **do this again. _


	9. Chapter 8: Day of Discoveries

"Thanks for the towel." Ayame says, wiping Subaru's vomit off of her top.

"No problem." The man who introduced himself as Natsume says, now starting up the car.

After Subaru effectively vomited on the Ayame, the two just sat in awkward silence, until Natsume spoke up to offer his assistance. He didn't clarify his relationship with Subaru, but he said the two more or less knew each other. He offered to take to two of them home, to which Ayame gratefully accepted, seeing as the man didn't seem to have any bad intentions.

Thus, landing Ayame in the generous stranger's car.

Natsume starts driving. "So, what's your address?"

"Ah, we live together." She says nonchalantly. Natsume, who was until now driving safely, abruptly stops, nearly causing the car behind them to crash into theirs. In a fit of rage, the surrounding cars start beeping crazily at them, some even swearing outside of their car window.

Ayame winces at the sudden mayhem, covering her ears in a mundane attempt to block out the noise.

"N-Natsume-san?" She calls out, snapping Natsume back to reality.

"A-Ah…My bad." He mumbles, gaining control of the wheel.

_Subaru, that guy, he had a girlfriend that he was living with, and didn't even bother to tell me? _Natsume grumbles, earning a cautious stare from the girl in the back seat.

Doubting his driving ability, Ayame tightens her seat belt, uncertain if this was a good idea after all.

As Natsume turns around the roundabout, the still unconscious Subaru tumbles his head on Ayame's shoulder. As she turns to look, she notices some leftover vomit on the edge his mouth.

"…Geez, you really are hopeless." She sighs, grabbing a tissue from her purse.

As she wipes off the vomit, Natsume eyes them warily from the car mirror.

Purposefully, he coughs, earning Ayame's attention to him.

Ayame tilts her head, wondering if he coughed to gain her attention. Seeing as her attention was on him fully, he speaks accordingly.

"Uh…I might not be in a very good position to say this but," He pauses, "As you probably know, Subaru is in a very critical stage of his life right now, where basketball is his top priority." He says, now looking very serious.

"…Yes?" Ayame raises a brow, wondering why he was bringing it up with her.

Looking at her curious expression from the car mirror, he continues. "Look, I'm sure you're a very smart girl, and that Subaru has his reasons for picking you, but as his biggest advocate and brother, I ask of you to distance yourself from him for a while –at least until the scouting period is over."

Ayame blinks a couple of times, before eventually understanding on what he was going on about.

_Oh, lord. He thinks I'm his girlfriend. _She smacks her face, groaning. However, taking notice of a certain word, she lifts up her head, her eyes widening.

_…__Brother?_

"I'm not asking you to break up with him –even I'm not that selfish- but to just give him some distance as he concentrates on his career-"

"-Natsume-san, you've misunderstood!" She interrupts him desperately. Natsume crosses his brows.

"How so?"

"I'm not his girlfriend," she pauses before she reveals the important part, "I'm his and your new step-sister, Rintarou Hinata's daughter."

"E-eh?" He mutters out, whipping his head to her direction to meet eyes with his apparent new sister. Seeing that she was dead serious, he looks down with narrowed brows. "Rintarou-san had a daughter…?"

"Two, actually. The other one is in high school, her name is Ema."

As he takes in the sudden news, his expression turns sour, remembering a certain playful voice actor.

"…Damn it, Tsubaki…" Natsume clicks his tongue, annoyed that his triplet had neglected to tell him –which was most likely on purpose.

Ayame laughs awkwardly.

"I accidentally bumped into Subaru when I was out at an izakaya. He drank too much and ended up fainting, thus why I was carrying him on the street. Sorry for causing a misunderstanding." She explains kindly with a smile.

Natsume shakes his head, sighing. "No, it's fine. It's partly my fault for making assumptions. Thanks for taking care of Subaru."

"Not at all." Ayame says, smiling warmly, "Starting over, I'm Rintarou's daughter, Ayame. I'm a college student. Please take care of me from now on, Natsume-san."

She bows her head slightly. Natsume smiles at her, then introducing himself also. "Natsume. The seventh son, Tsubaki's and Azusa's triplet. I work at a video game company."

Ayame brightens at the news, thinking of how Ema much would be pleased. "Really? Ema's a very avid gamer- I think the two of you would get along immediately."

Seeming to be intrigued, Natsume grins. "Is that so? I'll bring her a sample game as soon as we meet, then."

Ayame chuckles politely, "Thank you very much. I'll make sure to tell her."

From that point on, the two indulge themselves in relaxing conversation, starting off from small talk about the brothers to embarrassing moments that happened to their siblings -majority being about Subaru.

As Natsume continues to tell Ayame about funny stories that happened when they were little, time flies very quickly, shortly landing them at the Sunrise Residence. Natsume parks the car in front of the mansion, before getting out to open the door for her.

Ayame smiles appreciatively at his gentlemanly gesture, then getting out of the car, dragging Subaru along with her. Natsume frowns as he watches her as she struggles to carry Subaru.

"You know, if you want I can carry him up to his room." He offers kindly.

Ayame shakes her head, smiling at Natsume. "No thank you, you've already done so much. I can handle it."

"But-" He tries to retort, but Ayame's interrupts him. "-Plus, you have work tomorrow, right? You should hurry home to get some rest, Natsume-san." She smiles at him.

Sensing that she wasn't going to back off, Natsume reluctantly nods his head, returning to his car. Before he backs out, Ayame stops him, holding the damp towel that she had used. "I'll be sure to wash it and return it to you soon."

He smiles at her warmly, then driving off back home.

As he exits the property, Ayame waves, then entering the mansion with Subaru.

* * *

"Now, how am I going to do this…?" Ayame mutters, looking up at the daunting stairs. As she continues to stare at the stairs feebly, she notices the empty coach, which by memory, was quite comfortable.

_Well, if it's only one night..._

She drags Subaru over to the coach, plopping him on the white sofa. Not wanting him to freeze, she grabs a nearby teddy-bear patterned blankie, which was most likely Wataru's. Just as she crosses her arms contently, she notices her slightly wet top, which was damp from Subaru's vomit.

Wondering what she smelled like, Ayame sniffs her top, then cringing. The smell was putrid, and was like a combination of cat urine and blue cheese -and to top things off, the strong scent of bitter alcohol was also clinging onto her clothing.

_What in the world did he eat?_ Ayame thinks to herself, her face scrunching up in disgust.

Seeing as Subaru had no signs of waking, and that nobody was around, Ayame takes off her turtle neck sweater, revealing her black lace bra.

_I'll go take a shower... _She sighs, walking away from the coach. However, a yelp disrupts her in her tracks.

"...Uwah!" A soft voice whimpers. Ayame whips her head back to see the culprit.

It was Masaomi, who came out of the kitchen, covering his eyes with his hands while shyly looking away from the topless Ayame.

"M-Masaomi-san?" She says, looking at him with widened eyes. He was in his work clothes, and in hand, an on-the-go juice box.

"S-Sorry! I'll look away!" Masaomi blurts out, turning his back on the surprised Ayame.

Realizing on what he meant, Ayame blushes faintly, before putting her top back on. She grumbles with dissatisfaction, reluctant to be wearing the putrid smelling top.

"I-it's okay now, I've put my top back on." She says. Masaomi hesitantly turns back, though his face still covered.

Somewhat amused by his innocent response, she smiles. "It's okay now." She repeats.

Shyly, he uncovers his face finger by finger, eventually revealing his adorably pink face. Ayame blinks a few times, before silently chuckling to herself.

"I-I'm sorry for intruding on you like that, Ayame-chan." He laughs awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Not at all. It was my fault –it was stupid of me change in the living, even if it is this time." She says, then taking note of his attire. "So, are you back from work?"

He shakes his head, smiling gently. "No, I'm going now."

Ayame blinks, taking a peek at her watch. "At this time?"

"They're short on staff, so I got called. One of the doctors had to go because his wife was giving birth –at a different hospital, though." He explains with a light-hearted smile.

Ayame stares at him for a while, before eventually replying, "…It must be hard being a doctor."

"Haha, I guess so. But once you see the happy expressions of the patients, it becomes worth it." He laughs softly, scratching the behind of his head shyly.

"…That's amazing. Having a job that you enjoy." She says, looking down.

Masaomi chuckles shyly at her comment, scratching the back of his neck yet again. "It's not all that special, I just followed my dream."

Dream.

A flash of a certain woman appears before Ayame.

_"...What is this?" said a chilling voice, creaking the door open. A young Ayame looked back, around four years old. In her mother's hand was a crumpled up piece of paper, which Ayame quickly recognised._

_ It was the paper from preschool that she threw out where it asked what they wanted to become when they were older. Ayame wrote down, 'A teacher', as she loved her teachers' kindness and warmth that she lacked from her mother. _

_Her breath hitched as her mother approached closer. Regret was starting to get to her. She should've thrown it away in her bin, not the kitchen bin. _

_"...Well?" the woman whispered, glaring down, intimidating her daughter. Ayame struggled to muster out words, and only managed to mumble, "...I...uh, wah..."_

_Suddenly, her mother snapped, annoyed by her daughter's skittish self. She grabbed Ayame's wrist tightly, yanking her towards her. _

_"Ah...!" Ayame gasped out. _

_"How dare you write such a foolish dream! You'll never become someone so low, to become a teacher!" the woman yells, glaring at her with crazed eyes. Ayame winces at her extreme grip. Her mother's face was completely red. Ayame took a peek through the door, and noticed the empty wine bottle lying on the dining table. She winced, realizing that her mother was drunk. It was never a good thing when she was drunk, as she would act more brutal. _

_Her mother tightened her grip, "Who do you think you are? My blood runs through you. Never forget that!" _

_Ayame looks away from her mother, her breathing increasingly becoming faster and unsteady. She closes her eyes hastily, knowing what was about to come. _

_The drunken woman raises her hand, slapping Ayame without restraint. If not for the tight grip, Ayame would've definitely fallen to the ground due to the impact. _

_She let out a helpless yelp, then gritted her teeth, knowing that she wasn't going to be let off by just one slap. As she had expected, her mother stroke again, then again, and again. _

_A few minutes pass, and her mother was on top of her, yelling and punching her in the face. Tears dropped down her pale cheeks, which landed on Ayame's face. _

_"It's because of you and your stupid father that I'm so miserable!" she screeches, tears streaming down her tired face, then punching her again. _

_Ayame just laid there, all energy sapped from her. She didn't resist, feeling pitiful and guilty at her mother's actions._

Ayame's face darkens at the distant memory, her eyes turning cold. Her hand involuntarily reaches down to her wrist, gripping it weakly.

_...What a fool I was. _Ayame thinks to herself, tightening her grip, then loosening it upon feeling mild pain.

"…Ayame-chan?" Masaomi says, feeling anxious by her increasingly darkening facial expression.

Ayame quickly snaps out of it, forcing a composed look.

"Yes?" She replies with a smile.

Masaomi stares at her worriedly for a few seconds, before eventually continuing, "I was wondering, why were you so late at coming home?"

Ayame smiles, explaining to her older brother, "I went out with my friend. Sorry for not contacting you. Once I get a phone, I'll be sure to contact one of you when I might come home late."

Masaomi smiles understandingly, before quickly losing his smile upon seeing her bleeding kneecap. He winces at the sight.

"A-Ayame-chan, what happened to your knee?" He stutters, his expression paling.

"Oh, this?" She points to her kneecap, "I had a little trip. Just a little graze, that's all."

As he hesitantly looks down to meet the grazed knee, he winces yet again, turning even paler. Ayame tilts her head at his peculiar reaction.

"Masaomi-san?" She says, snapping him out of his daze.

"A-Ah, sorry." He forces a smile, worrying Ayame. He takes a peek at her bleeding flesh, then quickly averting his gaze, tensing up. After moments of hesitation, he speaks up, "...I-I'll treat it for you."

"Eh? Are you sure? You don't have much time, right?" She says, her brows burrowing. Masaomi smiles weakly, then walking away to get a first-aid kit.

Ayame watches him with cautious eyes as he exits the room, wondering if he was okay.

Before long, he returns with a first-aid kit in hand. Ayame sits herself on one of the dining chairs. Masaomi comes closer, then crouching down to meet with the wound.

"...You can do this; you're not a doctor for nothing, after all…" He mumbles quietly to himself. However, Ayame's great hearing manages to capture this, and frowns slightly.

_…__Could it be? No, that's illogical… _As she thinks deeper, she notices his sweaty skin, and clammy hands that were disinfecting her knee. Wanting to see if her theory was indeed true, she calls out to him.

"…Masaomi-san?"

He doesn't respond, seeming fixated on bandaging her knee –though with shaky hands.

Ayame stares at him worriedly, then grabbing his trembling hands. Seeming to do the trick, Masaomi looks up with a faint blush.

"E-Eh?" He mutters, his blush deepening as he continues to stare into Ayame's deep gaze.

"Masaomi-san. It's okay, you don't have to force yourself." She says, squeezing his hands comfortingly, away from the blood.

Seeing that she had noticed, Masaomi's blush fades, then hanging his head in shame, smiling sadly.

"Ahaha…Was it obvious? That I can't handle blood very well…" Masaomi says with a miserable chuckle, still looking down. He frowns, "Pathetic, I know. I've tried hard to get over my phobia, but nothing seems to have worked. Or maybe that's just because I don't try hard enough."

Ayame sighs at his pessimism, then ruffling his hair comfortingly, surprising Masaomi.

He looks up with a soft blush, then it deepening as he meets with Ayame's motherly smile.

"I don't think you're necessarily pathetic, but rather brave." She says, smiling warmly. Masaomi tilts his head at her comment, "How so?"

"Even though you're afraid of blood, you still pursued your dream job, which was full of your fear. I think that's very admirable and courageous, don't you think?"

He stares at her for a while before returning to look down, "...I'm happy to hear your words, but I think I've still got a long way to go."

Ayame chuckles warmly, surprising the haemophobic doctor.

"Of course, but you know what? Fears are made to be conquered, and you're on the road. For example," She points down to her bandaged knee, "This. Even though blood was oozing- oh, don't make that face…"

She frowns, as Masaomi cringed at the mention of 'oozing' and 'blood', which had brought back some unpleasant images and memories.

"S-sorry…" He apologizes, laughing awkwardly.

Ayame sighs before continuing, "Getting back to the point, you treated my wound even though you were scared. You faced your fear and successfully fought against it. You won, Dr. Asahina."

She smiles warmly, seeming almost proud of his small accomplishment. Masaomi stares at her for a few seconds, before smiling shyly, his dimples showing.

"…Thank you, Ayame-chan." He says, looking down with pink cheeks. Ayame chuckles before replying, "You're very welcome, Doc."

He finishes bandaging her knee without trembling – which was most likely due to Ayame's heartening words.

Masaomi stands up, as so does Ayame. She swings her leg lightly, testing it, and then smiling contently.

"Thank you for bandaging my leg." She thanks, staring into his chocolate brown eyes. He smiles back, "No need to thank me."

Seeing as he had not much time left, Masaomi hurriedly excuses himself, jogging off. However, remembering a certain detail, she hastily calls out to him.

"Ah- Masaomi-san!" She calls out. He stops, looking back to her.

"Yes?" He says, jogging on the spot.

She points the bandage, "Is this waterproof? I'm thinking of taking a shower."

Seeing what her worry was, Masaomi smiles reassuringly, "No worries, they're waterproof." He pauses, before continuing, "I had a feeling that you were going to take a shower."

Ayame blinks, then realizing on what he was trying to say.

She stunk.

Ayame blushes faintly, mumbling to herself. She takes a conscious peek at the far away sofa, where the culprit was resting.

_Damn it, Subaru… _

"So you had noticed, after all? And here I was, hoping you wouldn't smell it…" Ayame sighs.

"Well, once you're a doctor, you tend to notice these sorts things easier." Masaomi chuckles, then waving, "I'll be going now. See you soon, Ayame-chan."

Ayame waves at the departing doctor as he eventually disappears from sight. Following Masaomi's advice, she goes upstairs to her room to take a shower.

* * *

"Where is my key…?" Ayame mumbles to herself, looking through her purse, hunting for the key. After a few seconds of rummaging, she finally finds the metallic object, and sighs wearily. She was quite tired, to say the least.

Though, considering all the colourful events that happened in just one day, who could blame her? After a tiring day at uni, she was dragged off to go to a place surrounded by noise by her friend, who was just as irritating. There was also the happening with Kazumasa, who just had to start sexually harassing her, adding up to her stress. And to top it all off, Subaru ended up fainting, making Ayame have to carry him half-way home, which ended up with him vomiting on her. Then, after being misunderstood as Subaru's girlfriend by Natsume, Masaomi had seen her topless. To say the least, it wasn't a pleasant day.

Though, she'd be lying if she said it was all that bad.

She smiles to herself, good memories resurfacing.

In this tiring day, she had made up with Subaru, and had an enjoyable chat with a new brother, who she had a feeling she was quite compatible with, seeming to be one of the more mature ones of the bunch.

With a small smile still present, she unlocks the door. Ayame attempts to enter her room, but stops upon the sound of approaching footsteps.

Ayame averts her gaze, searching for the perpetrator. Upon seeing the identity, she hitches her breath, then exhaling deeply.

"Iori-kun? What are you doing up so late? You have school tomorrow." Ayame scolds, being the caretaker she was. Iori stares at her with a mysterious expression on his face. Ayame stares back, though with a nervous expression on hers.

Feeling anxious by his unnerving stare, she calls out to him, "Uh…Iori-kun?"

Silently, he draws closer, eventually arriving right in front of her. He stares into her eyes, not saying a word. Suddenly, he envelops her into a tight embrace.

Her body tenses at the body contact, her cheeks filling up with warmth. He continues to embrace her, whispering, "Thank god…you were alive…" He embraces her even more tightly, "Fuyuka…"

_Fuyu…ka?_

Wondering on what he meant, she attempts to speak up, but then stops upon noticing his trembling arms. On closer inspection, his body warmth was also unnaturally warm.

Hurriedly, she reaches out to his forehead.

It was burning. She winces, as the temperature was even higher than she had expected. She returns her hand to herself, Iori's sticky sweat clinging on to her palm.

_This…is definitely a high fever._

Ayame wonders on what to do. Masaomi had just gone out for work, so it wasn't as if she could ask for him for help. She looks across the hallway. All lights were off, meaning that everybody had probably all gone to sleep. She sighs tiredly. With nobody to help, she takes it upon herself to take care of him. She wasn't no amateur when it came to dealing with fever's and cold's, after all. With practically nobody to take care of them, Ayame had often taken care of her sister and herself when they had fallen to sickness.

"Iori," She says calmly, shaking him lightly. Seeming to not hear her, he continues to embrace her, still trembling. Ayame sighs softly.

Seeing no other choice, Ayame hugs him back, patting him comfortingly on his back –though somewhat hesitantly.

"Iori, It's Ayame, your sister. Calm down..." She whispers into his ear softly, rubbing his back.

Seeming to do the trick, Iori stares at her with widened eyes. He stares at her for a while eventually releasing her, realization starting to sink in. The gleam in his hazel eyes return, though with a melancholic look to them.

"Hey," Ayame smiles warmly, "Finished squeezing me?"

He stares at her for a few seconds before replying, "…Yes."

Noticing that he still looked unwell, she frowns. "Iori-kun, are you feeling alright?" She asks, her expression turning stern.

He shakes his head weakly.

With a huff, she puts one hand to her hip. "I don't like liars, you know."

He smiles feebly, in a poor effort to assure her. "Nee-san, I'm really fine."

"Oh, really?" She says, then reaching out to touch his burning forehead, "Then how do you explain this temperature?"

Iori slaps her hand off his forehead gently, looking down with a dark expression. "…I had a bad dream, that's all."

"Really? What was it about, then?" She asks in an almost condescending tone, thinking that he was lying to cover up his sickness.

He stays quiet, not seeming to want to talk about it. "…I did, though." He whispers, his eyes darkening. Seeing that he was actually telling the truth, she frowns guiltily.

"Oh...I'm sorry, that was rude of me." She apologizes. Iori doesn't respond, still looking away from Ayame. The silence hangs heavy, making Ayame anxious. In an effort to lighten the mood, she jokes playfully, "To compensate, should your big sister sleep with you?"

Surprisingly, he reacts, looking up with widened eyes.

"...Eh?" He breathes. Ayame blinks her eyes a couple of times, then sighing, realizing that he took her joking offer to heart.

Well, it was Iori she was talking about, so what did she expect?

"...Would you really?" He says, staring into her almond eyes deeply. She gulps, as he seemed genuinely wanting of her presence.

_This is definitely Iori we're talking about._

Ayame mentally curses herself. feeling foolish over forgetting his serious nature.

"...Nee-san?" Iori says, tilting his head slightly. Ayame stares at him for a few seconds. He seemed back to normal after her offer. She sighs.

"...Would you _actually_ feel better if I slept over for the night?" She asks, looking at him sternly. Iori smiles his signature smile. "Yes, but if you don't want to, that's fine."

Ayame sighs at his answer. After thinking about it for a few seconds, she makes up her mind. Sighing, she gives him her answer. "I'll do it but, you have to promise me to drink some fever medicine, okay?"

At her terms, he frowns slightly. "Ayame nee-san, I'm really not-"

"Iori." She says in her stern voice, putting her hands on her hips. Iori stares at her. Her expression just spoke, '_I have no intention of backing off, so just give up'. _Smiling softly, he accepts. "I understand."

Ayame smiles contentedly, "Then I'll come after I take a shower, I'll be back in about twenty minutes."

Iori nods his head as Ayame retreats to her room. Silently, he returns to his also, with strange anticipation filling his heart.

* * *

Iori lay on his bed as he waits for Ayame, flipping lightly through a noir book, which was by a certain cross dresser. As he waits, he takes a peek at his wall clock. It was nearing twenty minutes, and Iori was starting to feel sleepy. He rubs his eyes in an effort to stay awake. Just as he places the book down on his bed, he hears someone knock on the door. He smiles, then getting up from his bed towards the door expectantly.

Iori unlocks the door, opening it slowly, revealing a certain woman. Just as promised, Ayame was there, a small smile present on her graceful features.

"Hello, Iori-kun." she greets, a cup of water presumably with dissolved tablets- in her hand.

"...Hello, Ayame nee-san." Iori smiles at the sight of her.

She was wearing dark blue pajamas, which were close to a navy blue. For her bottom wear, she wore matching dark blue shorts, which provocatively displayed plentiful of her pastel, alluring legs. Iori resists the temptation to stare at her beautiful legs, as he would fail both a brother and a gentleman. In order to combat his tempt, his eyes return to her face -which turned out to be just as alluring.

Her hair was let out loose, flowing carelessly along the curve of her neck. Needless to say, her hair was still damp from her shower, though with a silky shine to it. Her skin looked refreshed and clean, and looked soft to touch -which he tried carefully not to attempt. Seeing as wherever he looked, he felt tempted to touch her, he decides it best to not look at her. He averts his eyes, looking back into his room.

_...I shouldn't be looking at her so filthy, even if my body is trying to tell me otherwise._

Seeing that as a signal to enter, Ayame walks into his room, passing by him.

As she passes by him, the scent of citrus wafts into Iori's nose, which was presumably her shampoo odour. Iori's eyes follow her as she places the cup of water on his study desk, then looking back to him.

"Drink this before you go to sleep, okay? It's pretty effective medicine, and the taste isn't _so_ bad. Be grateful that I'm not making you chug it down," She says playfully, a light chuckle escaping her lips. Iori's lips forms into a gentle smile as he nods.

With a hint of anxiety, she takes a peek at his bed before eventually sitting on it. Patting his bed to relieve some of her tension, she briefly looks over his room.

As she had expected, his room was simple. Flashy bright colours were practically nonexistent, being replaced by pastel whites and dark oaken furniture. Being an avid reader, her eyes quickly waft over to a bookshelf, though despite its large size, was rather bare.

Perhaps he wasn't much of a reader?

Though, his room was empty in general, with only necessary furniture such his bed and closet present, and decorations sparse. It was almost as if he was a new tenant that had just moved in recently, and had no idea what to do with the place.

"Your room is pretty neat for a teenage boy. As expected of Iori." she comments casually, looking around the room. He smiles, politely replying, "I wonder. Though I guess in comparison to Yusuke's or Fuuto's room, I guess it is quite clean."

At his comment, she lets out a small chuckle, "I can see that."

His smile turns soft at the sound of her soft laughter. Seeing it as the right moment, Iori approaches closer, towards the bed. Ayame tenses slightly, her hand brushing across his blanket reflexively, unexpectedly bumping into something hard and thick. Curious on the identity of the object, she glances over.

_Scandals in Venice by Hikaru Asakawa _

It was a hardcover book by an author she had never of heard before.

_...I wonder what sort of book it is, _She thinks to herself, staring at the book with a hint of curiosity. Interested, she reads the blurb. After briefing over it, she quickly realizes that it was noir book.

_So I guess he likes crime books? A little unexpected, I must say. _

She looks up to Iori, who was gulping down his fever medicine.

"Is this book good?" She asks, bringing up the book with an expectant stare. He returns her stare, smiling softly.

"It's interesting," He replies, then placing the empty cup down. "Though I'm more reading it out of obligation."

Ayame tilts her head, wondering on what he meant by 'obligation.'

"What do you mean?" She asks. Iori looks down to her, staring into her eyes. A small smile creeps up his face, "I actually know the author. He asked me for my impressions of it, thus why I'm reading it."

"That's cool, to know an author like that. I've always wanted to know an author in person." Ayame says, smiling widely. When she was free of studying, she would often spend her time reading -though majority being educational.

"...I think you'll know one in time." Iori whispers, smiling mysteriously. Ayame cocks her head at his comment, but lets it slide anyway, not feeling bothered enough. Tiredness starting to get to her, a small yawn escapes from her.

As if he were on cue, he quickly comments, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Shall we sleep soon?"

Ayame smiles at him softly, indicating her answer. She crawls into the sheets, then shuffling closer to the wall to make space for Iori.

Iori nods, then entering the sheets, together with Ayame. Instantly, her body warmth envelopes him, the citrus scent of her shampoo returning into his sense of smell once again. He closes his eyes, letting out a deep breath. Her presence was comforting, perhaps even soothing.

_Maybe the nightmare won't return for tonight._

Finished with taking in her presence, he slowly opens his eyes. To his surprise, he is greeted by the sight of Ayame watching him deeply, almost as if she were bewitched.

Realizing that he had opened his eyes and was now staring at her back, Ayame blushes faintly, averting her gaze from Iori.

"...Nee-san?" he whispers softly, watching her awkwardly dodge his stare. Hesitantly, she looks up to him.

"H-hm?" she hums awkwardly, hoping that he wouldn't ask why she was staring at him so deeply. The reason was far too embarrassing to say. After all, how could she say that she was staring because she was entranced by his looks?

"If you're not comfortable, you don't have to do this." Iori says, smiling comfortingly. Though he would prefer to have her presence around, he didn't want to force her into something she wasn't comfortable with. Though, to his surprise, he receives an unexpected reaction from her. With a frown, Ayame pinches his cheeks, stretching them widely. His eyes widen slightly her action.

"Eh...?"

"I promised to sleep with you tonight, so I will follow through." She says, then letting go of his cheeks, slapping them lightly. Her frown turns into a gentle smile, "Understood?"

Iori stares at her for a few seconds, before a genuinely elated smile creeping up -the smile that was her weakness. She gulps, trying to ward off her blush.

He reaches out to her, stroking a lock of her damp hair, then kissing it softly. Her breath hitches softly. The blush she had tried so desperately to drive off returns, though this time, significantly more flushed.

"Thank you..." He breathes, slowly closing his eyes. Gradually, he lets go of her hair, then drifting off to sleep. Ayame stares at him, bewildered, then trying to calm down her heartbeat. The feeling was unfamiliar, yet recently, she had to come to expect it when she was around Iori.

Ayame covers her mouth, mumbling to herself with a hot blush, "...What is this persistent feeling, for god's sake..."

After a few minutes of distracting herself with distant thoughts, her mind finally strays away from the event. Nearing her limit, Ayame closes her eyes, before opening them again to reach out to her younger brother's forehead. Compared to before, it was much better. She sighs in relief.

_It seems that the medicine's kicked in... _Ayame smiles to herself softly. Now relieved, she closes her eyes once again, soon falling into a deep slumber.


	10. Chapter 9: Everybody has a Secret

Sunlight shines through the window, waking Ayame up. She rubs her eyes, grumbling, feeling dissatisfied with being woken up early by the sun. With a toss, she lazily opens up her eyes, which immediately dilate upon the sight of Iori, snuggling up against her. His head was nuzzled into her neck, lips slightly parted with air silently escaping, landing on her pale skin. Ayame shivers at the cool sensation; goosebumps crawling up her back. Her cheeks quickly warm up, turning visibly red.

_I...should definitely, pull him off._

Weakly, she tries to escape, but his tight grip around her prevents it. She grumbles, then attempting again, but to no avail. It was if he were baby stubbornly clinging onto his mother. She wonders if she should call out to him, but then decides against it. He looked so peaceful; his facial muscles unstrained and relaxed. It was rare to see him sleeping, and this time might be the only time in her life to witness it.

Plus...his embrace was, comforting.

As she waits for him to loosen his grip, Ayame notices a silver object under his white button-up shirt, dangling from his neck. She stares at the cross necklace, memories from the other day popping up.

_"I said don't touch...!"_

Ayame's expression turns stern. There was something mysterious about Iori. He was like a glass figurine; pretty to look at, but fragile. He was princely and gentle, but sometimes he just seemed...off. Especially around Kaname. She wanted to know. She wanted to know what caused him to react like that, what the story behind him was. If he would to ever bare himself to her, she would gladly accept him, perhaps even help him.

After all, she was no better.

After a few more minutes of brooding, her motherly instincts take over, and she reaches out to him, hugging him closer into her shoulder. She gently caresses his hair, then running her hands through his silky locks. A few more minutes pass, and Iori finally wakes up, awoken by her persistent touch. He opens his sleepy eyes, which immediately widen upon the position they were in.

"..." Iori says nothing, obviously shocked. Snapping out of it, he hastily backs off, nearly falling off the bed. At his reaction, Ayame couldn't help but let out a laugh. It was strange to see the usually so composed Iori to look so shocked. Smiling warmly, she lends him a hand.

"Good morning, sleepy head. Did you have a good night's sleep?" she says, ruffling his hair. He stares at her for a few more seconds, before his parted lips form into an apologetic smile.

"...Good morning, Ayame nee-san. I'm sorry, did I cuddle against you while we were sleeping?" he says, no longer looking shocked.

Ayame smiles at him, "Yes. Is it a habit of yours?"

Iori looks down in deep thought. After a few seconds he replies, "...No. I usually don't move at all."

"Oh, really? A wonder." she smiles warmly, staring into his hazel eyes, "Any nightmares?"

Iori meets her eyes, staring into them deeply before replying. "No. Thanks to you."

She chuckles softly at his response.

"I'm glad to have helped." Ayame smiles. She takes a peek at his forehead, then reaching out to it. Compared to when she first discovered him, it was much better.

"...Good. " she says, then removing her hand. "It seems like your fever is mostly gone, but just to be on the safe side, you should take a day off from school."

Iori looks up to his ceiling, seemingly thinking. A few seconds pass and he changes his watch to Ayame. "...Will you be at home?"

Though slightly taken aback by his question, she replies quickly. "I don't have any lectures today so I'm not going to uni but, I'm planning on studying. Though other than that, I'm not doing anything else, so I'm at home all day."

Iori smiles tenderly at her answer, "Okay then. I'll stay at home then."

Ayame blushes faintly at his suggestive reply, but wards it off quickly, changing the subject.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to leave now. See you at breakfast." Ayame says. She swings her legs to the side of the bed, planning to leap off. However, just as she stands up, Iori interrupts her.

"Ayame nee-san?" he says. Ayame looks back, "Hm? What?"

"That bandage...did you get hurt?" Iori says, looking down to her kneecap. Ayame looks down to her knee, then back to Iori with a reassuring smile.

"I had a little trip yesterday. It's nothing serious, just a little grazed." she says, patting her knee

"Oh, I see," Iori says, then pausing, "...Speaking of yesterday, you came home really late. Where were you?"

"Ahh...I was out with a friend, and ended up meeting up with Subaru-kun and his friend." Ayame explains.

Iori stares at her, "With...Subaru nii-san?"

"Yep, they got really drunk,' Ayame says with a smile, then pointing down to her bandaged knee, "This wound was kind of Subaru-kun's fault. He fainted and I ended up with carrying him. When we were walking, he tripped me over. Accidental, of course."

"I see..." Iori says. He looks at her with sorry eyes, "I'm sorry for Subaru nii-san. Did it hurt?"

He casually places his hand on her knee, staring at the injury sympathetically. Ayame blushes faintly before replying, "Ahaha...Not really, I'm used to pain so I was alright."

"...Eh?" Iori says, now looking into her eyes. Realizing that she had caused him suspicion, Ayame hastily makes up an excuse -not wanting him to know why.

"Oh- I was in the soccer club in middle school. A lot of accidents happened, so I gradually got used to pain, though I was the goalie." she says with a composed smile. Technically, she wasn't lying, as she often did get hurt during club activities.

Iori smiles at her answer, "I see. It's a little unexpected that you play soccer. Do you still play?"

Ayame hesitates before she replies, her hand involuntarily reaching down to her wrist. She looks away from him, her facial expression turning distant.

"...Sometimes."

Iori tilts his head at her vague answer. Sensing his curious stare, Ayame hastily gets up from the bed. "Well, I think I'd better go. Make sure to rest plenty today, alright? Call me when you need me, I'll come running."

She smiles gently, no trace of bitterness left, then walking out the room.

"Ah..." Iori gasps quietly, watching her exit the room. His face turns melancholic.

_...I wonder why she looked so sad._

* * *

Now in a change of clothes, Ayame exits the elevator, walking to the kitchen. As she had expected, Ukyo was already there, and beside him, Ema.

"Good morning," She greets, walking down the stairs. "You're early today, Ema."

Ema smiles flinches slightly at the sight of her sister. Ayame furrows her brow at her reaction. Ema looks away from her sister before replying.

"O-Oh, I thought that since you two are always the first ones to start cooking, I should at least try to be there before one of you at least once."

Ukyo chuckles softly, "I was quite surprised to see her waiting here so early. It's a strange thing to see someone here before me in the morning, that's for sure."

Ayame and Ema chuckle together. Ayame, now down the stairs, rolls up her sleeves.

"So, what are we making for today?" she asks with a smile on her face. Ukyo smiles politely, "Ah, we were actually just deciding-"

"-Pancakes, for today." Ema quickly answers, cutting Ukyo off. Ukyo stares at her quizzically before receiving an apologetic smile from Ema. Ema turns her attention back to Ayame, "Too bad, Aya-nee. You're going to have to sit this out again."

Ayame blinks a few times before replying, "...Sure," she says, turning on her heel. "I guess I'll do the laundry then."

"Eh?" Ema gasps, blinking her eyes. Ayame looks back to Ema with a confused expression.

"...Ema? What is it?" Ayame sighs, feeling suspicious of her younger sister. Ema, knowing that no arguments would work, sighs.

"...No, it's nothing. See you at breakfast then, Aya-nee." Ema sighs, sulkily grabbing out a pan. Ayame raises a brow at her behavior before reluctantly walking off.

"Okay then...See you at breakfast." Ayame says, exiting the room.

After Ayame leaves, Ema sighs heavily, "Haa..."

Ukyo looks down at his step-sister, curiosity blatantly showing on his face. "...May I ask what that was all about, Ema-san?"

Ema sighs yet again before replying, "...Do you remember the day we argued?"

Ukyo raises a brow, trying to brainstorm on what she meant. Soon, he remembers, smiling.

"Ahh, yes. On the first day. We were all quite surprised that things got so dramatic so quickly. Between you two, no less." Ukyo chuckles at the distant memory, which was no less than two weeks ago.

Ema faintly blushes, mumbling, "We're very sorry about that, we don't usually argue..."

"Ahaha...There's no need to apologize," Ukyo chuckles faintly, then stopping upon seeing her brooding expression, "...Go on,"

Ema nods, hesitantly continuing, "...On that day, we argued that she shelters me too much, among other things,"

"Hm." Ukyo nods, listening in carefully. After all, he had never truly found out what happened between the two, and tried to ask Ayame once, but was brushed off. Seeing this time as his only bet, he carefully takes in her rant.

"I don't know what everybody else thinks, but I think Aya-nee's too, attached, or, protective of me, ever since we were children." she explains, sifting the pancake mix. Ukyo nods.

"Compared to when we were children, it's better but- sometimes, I think she needs to back off a little." she says. Ukyo tilts his head, but lets her continue anyway.

"...It may seem from what I'm saying that I dislike Aya-nee -which is completely wrong, she's the closest person I've got, even more so than Papa, but that is precisely why I'm worried." she sighs, taking a short break from her rant.

"And what do you mean by that?" Ukyo says, turning on the stove. A few seconds pass before she replies, "...I want her to relax more. She studies like crazy, everyday. Assignments that, college this. She's too focused on staying busy -I've never even met her friends before, if she even has any!"

Ema raises her voice, unintentionally taking out her frustration on the mix -sifting it uncontrollably. Ukyo blinks his in surprise at her sudden outburst. She continues to rant, "And you know what I've noticed? I know little to nothing about Aya-nee! She always keeps me in the dark, never telling me anything about her private life! She thinks I'm this pure little girl who knows nothing about the world! Well, I _do_! I've _pirated_ before! I've downloaded movies _illegally_ before! Yet she- yet she still...!"

Seeing that she was going off topic, Ukyo tries to stop her, but to no avail.

"E-Ema-san, please calm down-"

"Nothing's changed from before! It's all because of that woman-" Ema yells, pulling her hair.

Ukyo stares at her quizzically, one brow raised.

_...Because of that woman?_

Feeling curious, he speaks up, "Excuse me, Ema-san, but what do you mean by 'that woman'?"

Ema gasps, and freezes in her spot.

_Oh no. I've said too much._

"Ah...um," she mumbles, "I-I'm sorry, Ukyo-san...I've been spouting nonsense. I just need to calm down for a couple of seconds..."

Though his curiosity was still strong, Ukyo lets her off, sensing her strong discomfort. Sighing, he pats her on the back.

"I understand, Ema-san. Lets take a breather, shall we?" he smiles kindly, rubbing her on the back. Ema smiles thankfully, and after a few seconds, she speaks up.

"...I'm sorry, Ukyo-san. to burst out on you like that," she sniffs, "It's my bad habit, getting easily worked up when I'm feeling stressed or worried..."

Ukyo smiles warmly, "It's fine, Ema-san. You're just worried about Ayame-san, correct?"

She nods her head, "...I just thought that she should take a break. I'm worried she'll just break down someday. I've never seen her cry, not even once, in all this time I've known her."

"I see," Ukyo nods, with his arms crossed, "But to be so worried about her, you must love her very much."

Ema smiles softly, feeling happy with his words, "...Yes."

Ukyo smiles, seeing that she was now the usual sweet and calm little sister that he knew. Clasping his hands together, he sets to work, "Now, how about we start frying the pancakes?"

Ema nods, and the two work their magic. As they cook, Ukyo remembers a certain sentence.

"...Oh, yes. Ema-san?"

Ema looks up to the taller man, tilting her head, "Yes, what is it, Ukyo-san?"

His aura turns foreboding, "...For your information, people who disrespect copyright laws either have to pay up to two million yen or face two years in jail...So please, refrain from such illicit activities from now on, understood? It would be rather...troubling, to have a family member to have to go to court."

Ema shivers at his tone, and hastily replies, "O-Of course!"

He smiles at her, tilting his head upwards.

"Good."

* * *

"Achoo!" Ayame sneezes loudly, nearly dropping the sheets.

"Am I sick? That's rare..." She mutters to herself, then looking up to the bright blue sky. "Maybe I'm being talked about...just kidding."

She continues to hang the laundry. After a few good minutes, she finally finishes hanging, then massaging her shoulders with a groan.

"Gosh...how does he do this everyday, I wonder?" Ayame sighs to herself, thinking of the motherly lawyer. Seeing that her business was done, she goes to the exit, but then stops upon hearing a soft sneeze.

"A-achoo...!"

Ayame her head whips back with widened eyes. Was someone there? She frowns. She never noticed anybody while she was hanging the laundry. Had she perhaps misheard?

"...Is somebody there?" she calls out, but receives no answer. Rationalizing that she probably was just hearing things, she turns on her heel, but stops upon hearing the voice yet again.

"...Huh? Where, am I?" A soft, gentle voice utters, sounding mildly confused. Ayame whips her head back, immediately recognizing the voice's owner. She approaches closer, going through the fluttering sheets of laundry.

Upon seeing the voice's identity, she sighs, holding the flying bed sheets behind her.

"Louis-san! Why in the world are you sleeping here?" she scolds, her brows crossed.

"Ah...Ayame-chan," Louis says, smiling softly. He reaches out to caress her long hair that was fluttering in the strong breeze, "Your hair, is as beautiful as always..."

She sighs at his nonexistent answer. For Louis, everything was about hair.

"More importantly, why were you sleeping on the roof bench? Don't tell me you've been here all night..." she says as she looks down to the soft-speaking man. He smiles serenely,

"Yep." he nods. Ayame sighs at his answer.

"May I ask, why in the world?" she says, crouching down to his eye-level. He retains his soft smile, "The sky...was so, beautiful, last night...So I went up to the, rooftop, to star-gaze."

"And you ended up falling sleeping?" she says, staring into his mauve-coloured eyes. He nods slowly. Ayame places her hand to her forehead, sighing.

"There's a limit to being carefree, you know..."

Louis chuckles softly, then unzipping his blue polka-dot jacket. Ayame's eyes widen at the sight.

"Juli-san, too." he smiles softly. It was Juli, peacefully sleeping inside his shirt. His belly was bared, and his arms and legs were sprawled out.

Ayame tries to muster out a comment, but fails, the only thing she was able to do was gawk.

Juli, sleeping so peacefully on a young male? It was inconceivable.

Seeming disrupted by Ayame strong stare, Juli wakes up with a cute yawn. He slowly opens his eyes, rubbing them with his little paws.

"Hrm?" he mutters, lazily blinking.

"Good morning, Juli-san..." Louis smiles gently at the squirrel, scratching his apple head. Juli, realizing where they were, immediately starts scolding Louis.

"Louis! How come we ended up sleeping on the roof? I warned you to not fall asleep!" he scolds, unknown to Ayame.

"Sorry, Juli-san...I couldn't help it..." Louis chuckles softly. Juli sighs, turning away with crossed arms.

Ayame looks upon the sight curiously. Was he talking to Juli?

She smiles, amused. He truly was a man of the clouds.

"Hmph!" Juli scowls, then blinking upon noticing Ayame's presence, "Oh, Ayame? So you were here too."

"Chi, chu? Cha chi chi." Juli squeaks. Ayame reaches out to scratch his head.

"Hey there, buddy." she smiles gently. At her gentle touch, Juli nuzzles against her hand, looking quite adorable. She giggles, feeling ticklish at the touch of his fluffy fur.

After few seconds, she returns her hand to herself. Seeing that cuddle time was over, Juli travels up to Louis' ear to whisper -or rather, squeak, "...By the way, Ayame doesn't understand my words, so no mentioning of me being able to talk if you don't want to weird her out, roger that?"

At this news, Louis's smile disappears, turning into a saddened frown. "Poor Juli-san..."

Noticing Ayame's confused expression, Juli lightly taps Louis' shoulder, telling him to zip it. Louis reluctantly nods, changing the subject.

"Nee...Ayame-chan?" he says, raising his body up. Juli clings on Louis' clothing, scurrying up his shoulder.

"Yes?" Ayame says with a polite smile, tilting her head. He reaches out to her hair again, grabbing a single lock.

"Can I, do your hair?" he says with hopeful eyes that were like a child's. Ayame sighs, but agrees anyway.

"Sure, but you promise me to never sleep up here ever again, okay? You'll catch a cold." she says, getting up. He smiles at her request, "Okay."

He swings his leg over the bench, making space for Ayame. She tucks her skirt as she sits down.

Humming, he begins to plait her hair. The two envelope into a relaxing silence. Ayame stares up at the blue sky, smiling to herself as she relaxes into her seat. It was relaxing being with Louis. The way he just seemed up in the clouds was at times amusing yet soothing. It was as if he had no troubles in life, just living along with hair.

Ayame smiles with a hint of sadness.

_It would be nice...if one day, I would be able to live life just as carefree as him._

Just as Louis continues to braid her hair, he looks up to her.

"Ayame-chan?"

"Hm?" she says, closing her eyes.

"What, do you think...of the Asahina family?" he asks, staring at her curiously. She turns to look at him, "What made you ask that?"

He smiles gently, "...I, was just wondering."

Ayame looks up to the sky, wondering on what she thought of them. In general, they were quite nice, though there were a few misfits.

"Hm...I think Masaomi-san and Ukyo-san are very kind and thoughtful. If they ever got married, I think their wives would be very happy." she says, her finger to her chin. Louis nods, listening in.

"Next...Kaname, I think of him as unlikable." she says. Louis tilts his head, "Why?"

"For one thing...he doesn't respect my space. He puts his hands all over me whenever he has the chance, which frankly, is quite disrespectful. It's almost as if he thinks I'm a toy to mess around with."

"It's true that, Kaname nii-san touches girls a lot, but," he pauses, his lips forming into a small smile, "He's, one of the kindest people I've met. He's just easy to misunderstand."

Juli spits at the ground at his statement, "Hah, as if! A perverted monk is always a perverted monk!"

"Chi, cha chi! Ki chi chu chi!"

Ayame stares unapprovingly at Juli's distasteful act, then replying to Louis' statement.

"Hopefully I will be able to see that side of him one day, then."

Louis smiles gently at her response, "You will...It's hard to hide kindness."

"You have a point. I still don't like him though." she says, crossing her arms stubbornly. Juli cheers at her answer.

"A pity...Kaname nii-san, would be sad to hear that." Louis says, then looking up to the sky, "Then...what about, Tsubaki nii-san and Azusa nii-san?"

"They're nice. Though Tsubaki can be a little annoying at times." she replies with a small smile.

Louis nods at her answer. Suddenly, the image of a certain man pops up. She smiles warmly, happy to have remembered him.

"There's also Natsume-san. He's also very kind."

Louis tilts his head at the mention of Natsume. "Natsume nii-san? You've, met him?"

"Yep, yesterday. It was purely coincidental." Ayame says, smiling brightly. Louis stares at her for a few seconds before a smile eventually creeps up.

"Good for you."

She chuckles softly before continuing. "And next is..." she pauses, a cheeky smile forming, "Louis-san."

Louis smiles warmly, his eyes lowered. "Yes?"

"A very gentle, soft-spoken man. Initial impressions were 'A weird person' but recently, that has changed. He is now thought of as a gentle and relaxing person whose presence is very soothing. And for the record, you can do my hair anytime you want." she winks at him with a small smile. He returns her smile.

"I'm glad. I also, think of Ayame-chan as a very gentle person. Thank you." he says, staring into her almond eyes. Ayame giggles softly.

Louis looks up to the sky, "Next is...Subaru-kun."

Ayame smiles at the mention of the basketball player. "Subaru-kun, huh? He's very serious, I've got to say. If only he weren't so shy, I think that he'd be very popular with the ladies."

Louis chuckles softly at her comment, "Subaru-kun, is already quite popular among girls."

Ayame looks up at the sky, "I had a feeling that was the case, though I think that he would be even more popular if he weren't so intimidating."

"I think so too." Louis says, nodding in agreement.

Thinking of the next chronological brother, Ayame's heart beats slightly faster.

"Next...is Iori-kun, huh..." she says, looking down with a faint blush. Juli clicks his tongue, irritated by her reaction.

"Hmph!" he turns away from Ayame, crossing his arms.

"What do you...think of Iori-kun?" Louis asks with a small smile.

"A wonderful little brother. He's kind and modest, and I think I've grown quite close to him." she looks up, staring off into the distance. "But..."

_But? _Juli cocks his head to the side, as does Louis.

"...Sometimes I feel as if he's unapproachable. As if he's not there."

For the first time Ayame had known him, Louis' face turns serious. He stops plaiting her hair. "...Uh-huh."

A few seconds pass before she speaks up, "...Hey, Louis-san?"

Louis looks up, "What is it, Ayame-chan?"

"...What happened to Iori-kun? Why is he on bad-terms with Kaname-san? And what is that cross necklace to him?"

Louis stays silent, not answering her questions. A good minute passes before Ayame starts to get restless, "Louis-san-"

"-You will...know eventually." he says, interrupting her. "...You, will definitely find out. But now, you can't know."

"...Why is that?" she whispers, looking down.

"Because...everybody, has secrets that they, want to keep secret." he replies cryptically. Ayame watches Louis as he stares off into the distance, then back to the ground.

Without thinking, her hand travels down to her shoulder, and grips it tightly.

_Because everybody has secrets that they want to keep secret._

A few seconds pass before she releases of her shoulder. She looks up to the sky.

"...I understand."

Louis nods, then continuing to plait her hair. They both stay silent for a while, before Louis eventually speaks up, "...What about Yusuke-kun?"

Ayame burrows her brows in confusion, "What?'

"Yusuke-kun...What do you think about him?"

Realizing that he still wanted to continue the conversation, her lips creep into a small smile.

"Yusuke-kun, huh..." she pauses to think, placing her hand to her chin, "Transparent."

Louis nods at her answer, agreeing. "It's true that, Yusuke-kun's feelings, easily show. But, he's cute."

"I agree whole-heartedly." Ayame chuckles, thinking of the time he seemed so depressed when Ema made Subaru a cake.

"Then, what about Fuuto-kun?" Louis says.

Ayame quickly finds an answer, and doesn't hesitate in her reply, "A spoiled little brat."

Louis blinks at her answer, "Do you think so?"

"Yes, no doubt about it. He's a pompous little drama queen." she says, huffing her chest up. Louis smiles tenderly, "Fuuto-kun's...a little cheeky, but he's a nice boy. He's just a little shy."

Ayame raises a brow at his statement, "I find that hard to believe, Louis-san."

"For once, it seems that we've agreed, Ayame." Juli adds in, nodding to himself.

Louis laughs softly. It was a shame Ayame couldn't understand him, it would've been funny to see them interact.

"And last but definitely not least," Ayame starts off, then continued by Louis, "-Wataru-kun."

Ayame chuckles pleasantly, thinking to herself about the youngest. Finding a suitable answer, she tells him her thoughts.

"Wataru is, cute." she grins. Louis smiles back, "I think so too. His hair is, so fluffy..."

Ayame laughs at his comment, "So in the end, it's all about the hair?"

"Yes..." Louis replies, nodding, earning another chuckle from his younger sister. He finishes off her hair, seeming to have completed the french braid. Ayame looks at the braid, twirling it with her finger with a happy smile.

"Yet again, you have done magnificently." she says with a pleased smile. He smiles serenely, thanking her. However, just as he thanks her, his stomach start to growl.

"Ah..." he says, looking down to his belly, then patting it. Ayame laughs, then getting up, "Let's go. Breakfast should be done by now."

He smiles graciously as she offers him a hand. The two exit from the roof, and walk down the stairs.

After a few minutes, Louis and Ayame arrive at the dining area, and to their surprise, find majority of the brothers seated, including Fuuto. Ayame quickly briefs over the brothers, and notices that Subaru was nowhere to be around.

_...He's probably hungover, _She smiles at the thought.

"Geez, what took you so long? You made me starve." Fuuto says with an irritated scowl, hanging his arm lazily behind his chair.

"I don't think that's the right attitude towards someone who does your laundry." Ayame replies, seating herself down between Wataru and Iori, away from Fuuto.

"Good morning, nee-san." Iori politely greets with a pleasant smile. Ayame smiles back, "Good morning, Iori-kun."

Fuuto watches the two's interaction with a blank expression that eventually makes its way into a cheeky grin.

"Hm...So that's how it is, huh?" says Fuuto, a hand on his cheek. Ayame lowers her gaze on him, "What do you mean by that?"

To her irritation, she only receives an impish chuckle.

"Nothing, my adorable onee-san," he smiles cheekily. Ayame stares at him cautiously, before she turns her attention to Ukyo, who coughed loudly, eliciting everybody's attention to him.

"Everyone, I have an important announcement to make." he says, crossing his legs, "As we all already know, Mother and Rintarou-san's wedding will be due in two months."

Ukyo laces his fingers together, facing his siblings. "Mother has told me that in one way or another, she wants all of you to contribute."

At the announcement, Ukyo receives mixed reactions, with some being ecstatic, while others apathetic.

"Eh?" Fuuto gasps, then clicking his tongue, "What a pain in the ass...I might have work that day. What is she going to do if there's an audition for a role in a popular movie series that day, huh?"

"I doubt you'll be picked, so don't worry." Tsubaki replies with a hint of hostility, his lips formed into a fake smile. Fuuto bitterly glares at Tsubaki, who was opposite to him.

"Huh~? I wonder what you just said, a mere voice actor, to me, a national Idol? Seriously, you need to be put in your place-"

"Fuuto, Tsubaki. Be quiet." Ukyo interrupts, rubbing his temple with a sigh. Fuuto and Tsubaki both click their tongues, turning away from each other.

"Hmph!"

Not paying heed to his older brothers' bickering, Wataru excitedly pipes up, jumping on his chair.

"Kyo-tan, Kyo-tan! What's my job?" he squeals, his eyes beaming with anticipation. Not having any of it, Ukyo quickly scolds the youngest, "Wataru! Sit down at once. We are at the dining table, not at the playground."

Sensing his older brother's bad mood, Wataru quietly obeys, although puffing up his cheeks. Noticing his sulk, Ayame smiles at him warmly, and ruffles his hair comfortingly. Wataru quickly complies to her comforting action, nuzzling against her belly.

"Now, going back to topic, Mother has assigned us all jobs to do for the wedding. I have the list here." Ukyo says, then grabbing a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket. He smoothes it out before continuing.

"...First off, Masaomi nii-san and I are to provide a speech as the eldest brothers of the family. It notes, 'preferably about how much we love her."

"Mother..." Masaomi sighs with crossed arms, then staring at Ukyo with a smile, "Well, we can't really refuse, can we?"

Ukyo nods in agreement with a sigh, "Indeed."

"Next is..." He looks down to the paper, "Louis, you are to do her hair. It also says that if you are confident enough, you may also do her make-up."

Louis looks down to his lap, a soft smile forming. "To be able to do Mother's hair for the wedding...I'm happy."

Seeing Louis' joyed expression, Juli smiles, jumping over from Ema's shoulder to Louis'.

"Good for you, Louis!" Juli squeaks in his ear, earning a soft smile from Louis.

"Thank you, Juli-san..." Louis says, gently poking Juli on his nose.

Ayame watches the friendly interaction between the two, a relieved smile creeping up her lips.

_He's making progress...I guess he won't need to be desexed after all._

"I take that as a yes. Now, continuing," Ukyo pauses upon reading the next one, his brow twitching. With a deep sigh, he continues, "...Tsubaki, Azusa and Fuuto will sing as a trio for the wedding."

Fuuto's eyes dialate upon hearing the news, then cursing under his breath. Tsubaki chokes on his pancake, coughing uncontrollably. Azusa pats him firmly on the back.

"Yuck. Why do _I_ have to _sing_ with _low-grade_ voice actors that can't even sing? Seriously, what is that hag even thinking..."

No longer choking, Tsubaki quickly protests, pointing at Fuuto.

"And why do _I _have to sing with a little spoiled brat who thinks he's hot stuff? Could you please explain to me, _Kyo-nii?" _Tsubaki says with a hint of spite, glaring at the irritated Ukyo, who was just about to defend himself, but to his relief, is backed up by Azusa.

"Tsubaki, Fuuto. Calm down, it's for mother's sake. Let's put aside your dislike for each other for a few songs." Azusa coolly says, crossing his arms.

Tsubaki immediately pouts at his twin's words, clinging onto his arm. "But Azusa~!"

"No buts. The least we can to do for mother for raising us is sing a few quick songs at her wedding. If we can't even do that, we're failures as sons." Azusa says, looking into Tsubaki's identical eyes. At his gaze, Tsubaki slowly loosens his grip, returning his hands to himself with a sigh.

"Well, if Azusa says so..." Tsubaki pouts, crossing his arms. Azusa smiles gently at his twin, "Thank you, Tsubaki."

"Though _she's_ failed as a mother," Fuuto says, looking at his nails. Masaomi, who was seated just next to Fuuto, frowns at his low opinion of their mother.

"Fuuto..." Masaomi says, staring at him with disappointed eyes.

"Well, it's not like I'm lying, she's basically nonexistent in our lives. I don't see why we should work so hard for her." Fuuto bluntly says, crossing his arms.

The mood turns heavy at his blunt comment, as all the brothers knew that it was true. They knew that it couldn't be helped due to her work, but their childhoods still felt lacking, even with the dozen siblings they had. It became especially true after their father died.

A few seconds of awkward silence continue before it's eventually dissolved by the youngest.

"Nee, nee Kyo-tan~? What's my job?" Wataru whines, no longer able to control his curiosity. The brothers all sigh in relief, excluding Fuuto, who turned away with an irritated scowl.

"...Hmph." Fuuto huffs.

Thankful that he dissolved the awkward atmosphere, Ukyo smiles softly at the boy, letting him know what his job was.

"You're the pageboy, Wataru." Ukyo says, looking at the boy graciously. Wataru tilts his head, "Page...boy?"

Seeing that Wataru didn't know what it was, Masaomi kindly explains, "It's an important job where you carry the rings down the aisle and give it to the best man, who is a very important friend to Rintarou-san."

"Hm..." Wataru hums, looking down to the ground, then suddenly looking up with an excited gasp, "Ah! Is it the thing that Daiki nii-chan did at Auntie Masako's wedding?"

Masaomi nods with a smile, "The thing that Daiki-kun done at Masako-san's wedding."

_...Daiki? Masako?_

Noticing Ayame's curious expression, Iori whispers in her ear, "...Masako-san is mother's second cousin, and Daiki is her step-son that's older than Wataru by one year."

Though slightly surprised with his sudden proximity, she smiles thankfully, "Thanks."

He smiles gently before backing off. The two tune in on the conversation.

"Ah, but didn't Daiki nii-chan have a girl with him too? What do you call that? A pagegirl?" Wataru wonders, his finger to his chin. Masaomi chuckles softly at Wataru's innocent guess, then answering him.

"Close. It's a flower girl, not a pagegirl." Masaomi says.

"Flower girl? What does she do?" Wataru wonders, tilting his head.

"It's where a girl around seven years old to ten years old has the duty of scattering petals down the aisle. So basically, the female counterpart of you." Ukyo answers, tilting his glasses up. Wataru looks at Ukyo with intrigued eyes, a wide smile creeping up.

"Nee, Kyo-tan? Who's the flower girl? Is she pretty? Is she nice?" Wataru asks with an excited gleam in his eyes. Ukyo looks down to the paper to check, "...It seems that she's a relative on Rintarou-san's side, so I don't know whether she's pretty or nice."

Wataru pouts at the lack of information.

Ayame's brows furrow. The only relative that fit the criteria was her cousin, but it was highly unlikely that she would accept such a social role. She was just too shy.

Ayame looks at Ema, who seemed just as confused. Ema, noticing her sister's confusion, nods.

"Um...Excuse me but, Ukyo-san, is that girl perhaps called Misaki?" Ema says, joining in the conversation

"Hm? Ah, yes." Ukyo replies, looking at the sheet of paper.

"Misa-chan is, huh? What a surprise..." Ayame sighs, sinking into her chair.

"Truly." Ema nods in agreement, then looking up to the ceiling, "Ah, but if she's coming, doesn't that mean that Grandma's definitely coming? After all, it's not as if she can just leave her at a wedding full of strangers, even if we're there."

"Most likely." Ayame agrees.

The brothers tilt their head at their strange reaction, with Wataru quickly questioning Ayame, tugging at her top.

"Ayame onee-chan? What is Misaki-chan like?...Why, did you and Ema onee-chan react like that?" Wataru says, his voice turning shaky by his wild imagination. "I-Is Misaki-chan...a bully?"

Seeing his eyes welling up with frightened tears, Ayame quickly goes to reassure him.

"No, not at all! Misa-chan's a very nice girl, she would never bully anybody. She's just very shy, so we were surprised that she was going to be the flower girl."

"R-Really?" Wataru whimpers, tears no longer threatening to fall out.

"That's right, Wataru-chan." Ema smiles reassuringly, before shortly losing her smile. "...Hey, Wataru-chan?"

Wataru tilts his head, "What is it, Onee-chan?"

"Could you promise me something?" Ema says, looking into Wataru's innocent eyes deeply. "When you meet her...please don't be mean."

Wataru tilts his head at her statement, but upon feeling the serious gazes of his two older sister's, he doesn't question anything, and silently agrees.

"...Okay." he nods, looking down to the ground. Ema smiles gratefully, her eyes full of relief and warmth.

"Thank you, Wataru-chan."

Ayame also smiles, patting the boy on the head. "Good boy."

Sensing the other brothers' stares on the trio, Ayame returns to the topic of conversation.

"Sorry that we carried on, Ukyo-san. You can continue now." Ayame says, smiling at the lawyer. Ukyo flinches, as he was busy analyzing the girls' demeanor, but quickly snaps out of it.

"Ah, thank you, Ayame-san. Now," he coughs, looking down at the sheet once again. "Kaname."

Kaname raises his hand up with a knowing smile, "Yes?"

"You are to pray for their happiness. Other than that, you are free to do what you please."

"Roger, Kyo-nii. I'll be sure to pray plenty." Kaname says with a grin, lowering his hand, now crossing his arms together.

Dissatisfied with Kaname's lack of responsibilities, Fuuto pipes up.

"Hey, why does that perverted monk get away with just praying? And here I am, having to sing for _more_ than ten minutes with fakes that can't even sing."

"Because other than getting women to sleep with him, praying is his only specialty. Next," Ukyo states, briefing over list.

"Which he probably isn't very good at either." Ayame remarks, taking a sip of her water. Ukyo smirks at her curt response.

"Indeed, that is true."

"Ouch, Kyo-nii, Ayame-chan...Your harsh words have hurt me gravely." Kaname sighs deeply, placing his hand to his heart.

Ukyo and Ayame ignore the flirtatious monk, with Ukyo looking down at the paper. His eyes widen, then fill with pity.

"...Yusuke." he says, looking at Yusuke.

Yusuke tenses up, anticipating his duty.

"Y-yeah?"

"I'm sorry to say this but, your name is nonexistent. It seems as if mother has forgotten you."

"W-what?" Yusuke stutters, his eyes widened with shock and disappointment.

Amused by their mother looking over Yusuke, Fuuto lets out a snort, a smug grin creeping up.

"Ha! Of course she'd forget. Not that I would blame her though, you are practically the most boring and talentless out of all of us." Fuuto comments, anticipating his easily fired up brother's reaction. And of course, a reaction he gets.

Yusuke immediately shoots up from his seat, glaring at Fuuto.

"What did you just say, you shitty little brat?!" he yells loudly, gritting his teeth together. Having sensitive ears, Ayame winces, hurriedly covering up them.

"Exactly what you thought I said. A talentless, _worthless_, average John Doe who's only special feature is his stupid little plaits that look horrendous, even if you seem to think otherwise. What, you deaf now? Well, at least it'll make you more unique-"

"-Fuuto, you little bastard, who did you just call worthless?!" Yusuke yells, even more loudly than before. Ayame flinches yet again, even with her ears covered. Iori looks over her, observing her silently. Iori places his hand on the small of her back, rubbing his smooth hand slowly up and down. Her face flushes mild red at his sudden touch, looking up to meet his hazel gaze. He smiles reassuringly, then turning his watch on the two bickering siblings that were still carrying on.

"You, obviously. You really are turning deaf, aren't you?" Fuuto snorts, cocking up his nose.

"Why you little-"

"-Yusuke, Fuuto." Iori interrupts with a chilling voice, "Be quiet. You're troubling her."

At their older brother's sudden interference, the duo snap their heads at the two.

Seeing Ayame's covered ears, Yusuke looks down guiltily, awkwardly apologizing, "...M-my bad."

She smiles gently, uncovering her ears, "Not at all."

"Even though you never interfere with our fights...what's suddenly gotten in to you, I wonder?" Fuuto says with a sarcastic undertone, glaring at Iori, whose expression remains blank.

"I merely helped out my sister who was distressed," Iori replies calmly, "I don't see anything peculiar with that."

"...Hm~? 'Sister', huh?" Fuuto hums, staring at Iori, "Well, if that's what you want to call it, so be it."

Iori stays silent, watching his younger brother turn around to face Ukyo.

"So? As you were saying?" Fuuto says, placing his hand to his cheek.

Ukyo glares at Fuuto's smug attitude before continuing, "...Yusuke, you can pair up with Subaru. His job is helping set out the wedding. Can you handle that?"

Yusuke grumbles, turning his head away from Ukyo, "...Okay."

"Good for you, Yusuke-kun." Ema smiles at him warmly, earning a light blush from Yusuke.

"Y-yeah..." he mutters, looking down to avoid her stare. As she watches the interaction between the two teens, Ayame grins before fixing her attention back to Ukyo.

"Understood. Now Iori," Ukyo says. Iori looks up at his mention.

"Your job is to pick out her bouquet." he announces.

Iori nods. Ayame smiles at the boy before ruffling his hair affectionately, earning surprised stares from some of the siblings.

"I had a feeling you would get that role." Ayame says, smiling warmly at the boy. He smiles back, staring at her with obvious affection. Juli hisses aggressively at the two from Louis' shoulder, who just smiles gently at the two.

Noticing the awkward stares she was receiving, she returns her hand to herself.

"Flirts..." Fuuto whispers, clicking his tongue. Though hearing his comment clearly, Ayame ignores it, not wanting to make a scene.

She returns her stare to Ukyo, and as she turns her head around, she locks eyes with Ema. She flashes a smile, though to her surprise receives a flinch. Ema looks down with a faint blush evident on her cheeks.

Ayame frowns at her sister's peculiar reaction before returning her attention on Ukyo.

"Lastly, Ema-san and Ayame-san," Ukyo says with a smile. Ema and Ayame excitedly stare at the lawyer, "Yes?"

"Mother has assigned you two to pick out the wedding songs, including Tsubaki, Azusa and Fuuto's trio songs."

"Eh, really?" Ema says, looking at Ukyo. Ukyo nods his head.

Ayame places her hand to her chin, thinking of possible choices. Fuuto sighs heavily at the news, "Seriously? This is stupid..."

He turns to look into Ayame's eyes.

"Don't pick anything weird or lame, okay? If you do, I'm going to have to punish you two."

"E-eh?" Ema gasps, surprised with his words.

"Sure, sure..." Ayame sighs, waving her hand.

"I personally would be fine with whatever my cute little sister's pick. Don't you agree, Azusa~?" Tsubaki hums with a blissful smile, tightly clinging onto Azusa's arm.

"Yeah," Azusa says, then smiling at the two girls, "I'll leave it to you two, then."

Ema smiles brightly, "Yes!"

"We'll pick good songs, so please rest assured." Ayame says. Azusa nods with a small smile.

"Well, with that over and done with, shall we continue our meal?" Ukyo sighs, putting away the slip in his pocket. The siblings all nod, and begin chomping away at their food.

* * *

"Well, we're going off to school." Ema says while bowing. Yusuke walks ahead of her, exiting the dining area. Ayame peeks her head out of the kitchen, washing the plates together with Ukyo.

"Have a good day at school." Ayame says, smiling warmly.

Ema stares at her sister for a while, making Ayame suspicious.

"Ema? Are you okay? You've been staring at me a lot since this morning." Ayame says, frowning at her dazed younger sister.

Ema flinches, looking down to the ground, her eyes darting around.

"Ah...well, uh..."

Ayame waits patiently for her younger sister to continue.

Gathering up all her courage, Ema takes a deep breath, whipping her head up with flushed cheeks. Ayame tilts her head at her Ema's strange demeanor.

"Wh-What were you-"

Just as Ema was about to speak up, Iori enters the scene with a graceful smile.

"Nee-san, should I help out with that?" Iori says, then taking notice of Ema. He smiles his princely smile, "Ah, Ema-chan. Good morning."

Ema flinches slightly before hastily greeting back, "G-g-good morning, Iori-san!"

Iori and Ayame both stare at Ema curiously before focusing on each other.

"Good morning Iori-kun." Ayame smiles warmly, then walking over to him. She reaches out her hand to touch his forehead. She frowns at the increased temperature. "Your fever's gone higher. You should go back to bed, me and Ukyo-san can handle the dishes just fine."

"But..." Iori says, seeming to be disappointed. Ayame weakly flicks his forehead, wearing an expression of disapproval.

"Iori-kun, you have to rest if you want to get better." she says sternly, then smiling playfully, "Think of it as getting better for the sake of your wonderful big sister."

Holding his forehead, he stares at her playful demeanor, before a tender smile makes its way up his lips.

"If it's for your sake, then I'll happily oblige." he says, his words smoothly coming out without hesitation. Ayame blushes faintly at his words, before warding it off quickly.

"A-ah, I see," Ayame says, then turning her head to over were Ema was, "So, Ema, what were you...huh?"

Ayame blinks, seeing her sister nowhere in sight. "Huh? She's gone..."

"She left quite a while ago." Ukyo perks up from the kitchen, washing the dishes.

"What? Around when?" Ayame says, looking genuinely confused. Ukyo stares at her blankly before replying with a sigh.

"Around the time you touched his forehead."

"Really? What a shame, she seemed like she really wanted to talk..." Ayame huffs, looking at the exit of the dining area.

Iori smiles apologetically, "Sorry, all because I interrupted her..."

Ayame turns to look at him, then smiling reassuringly.

"It's not your fault. More importantly, you should go back to bed now, you got that?" she huffs, placing one hand to her hip.

Iori stares at her before his lips form into a small smile, "...Okay."

Watching the two's interaction from the kitchen, Ukyo sighs, grumbling, "Seriously, I may have to agree with Fuuto on this one..."

Too focused on Iori, Ayame fails to catch his comment, then returning to the kitchen with a subconscious smile.

* * *

"O-oi...Why are you so puffed out?" Yusuke mutters, looking down at Ema, who was panting and bent over.

"N-nothing...Let's go..." she sighs heavily, looking down at the ground.

"O-okay..." he mumbles, though in reality slightly worried.

As the two walk in silence, Ema finds herself thinking deeply, questions popping up by the second, especially one certain thing that had been bothering her since the early morning.

_Aya-nee...what was she doing in Iori-san's bedroom?_

At the thought, her imagination goes wild, and she soon finds herself blushing bright red.

To control her thoughts, she hits herself on the head with her bag.

"Ugh...what am I thinking?" she whimpers, burying her face in her bag. Yusuke looks back at her quizzically, his brows crossed together.

"Oi, are you really okay? Are you sick like Iori-nii?" he says, staring at his crush.

At the mention of Iori, she turns bright red yet again, her imagination running amock. She hits herself yet again, though this time significantly more harder. She crouches down to the ground, squeaking in pain.

"Ow...!"

"H-Hinata!" Yusuke panics, then rushing down to her side. "Are you okay? You've been acting really weird this morning-"

Her emotions acting up again, Ema bites her lip, yelling out, "-If anybody's been acting weird, it's Aya-nee and Iori-san! I need answers, dammit!"

At her sudden outburst, Yusuke falls down to the ground, staring at the usually peaceful and quiet girl that he fell in love with shoot up from the ground with a crazed look in her eyes.

Grabbing her bag, Ema walks off with a huff, calling out to Yusuke, "Yusuke-kun! Hurry up!"

He stares at her in shock, his lips slightly parted.

"Yusuke-kun!?" she yells out.

"O-oh, yeah...Sorry, Hinata!"

For some reason, he finds himself apologizing, scrambling off his feet to run after Ema.


	11. Chapter 10: Incidents at the Café

A few days pass, and Ayame was at her university, talking to her professor.

"So you want me to check your thesis?" her professor says, leaning over to see the sheet.

"Yes. It's the first draft, and I would be very thankful if you would put in some input, or even just look over it."

"Hinata-san, that's impressive. To complete it only after one week of being announced." she whistles, then sighing heavily, "Honestly...I wish more students would be more efficient like you. It's a pain in the ass when they come to me crying that they need more time, _right _on the due date."

Ayame laughs at her professor's complaint, then smiling politely. "Haha, is that so? But I think it's rather normal- huh...?"

Her voice trails off as she concentrates on a certain bubbly blonde, jumping on a head of red.

_Is that...Yukina? _

"Azami-chan! You have to -there's nobody else!" Yukina begs, tightly wrapping her arms around a girl's arm. The girl scowls at Yukina, desperately trying to escape from her tight clasp.

"Hah? No way! Why would I-"

"-Because you haven't payed rent yet. C'mon, we're going!" Yukina says, dragging the blazing red-headed girl with all her might.

"No way in hell am I doing this! Are you even listening to me, Shishido?!" the girl yells, earning stares from surrounding college girls.

_...This feels familiar. _Ayame thinks to herself, feeling pity for the angered girl.

Noticing her student's daze, she waves her hand in front of Ayame, "Hinata-san~? Are you listening to your professor?"

Ayame quickly snaps out of her daze, focusing her attention on her lecturer.

"Ah- yes. Sorry, I was just a little distracted. As you were saying?" Ayame says, staring into her instructor's eyes. She smiles at her, "I was just saying, I'll gladly proofread it for you. I'll return it to you by the end of this week."

Ayame sighs, placing her palm to her chest. She looks up to her professor, "Thank you very much, Yokoyama-sensei."

"Book buddy, when there's nobody around, call me Yokko, alright? Oh yeah, I'll be sure to pass you a new book with your thesis also. Tell me your impressions later, roger?" Yokoyama winks, referring to a book of a less than innocent genre.

Ayame reluctantly nods, not wanting to upset her professor.

"I understand. I'll contact you immediately after I finish."

Yokoyama nods, then walking off with a content grin.

Ayame waves at her professor, then sighing heavily once she disappears from sight. She runs her hand through her hair, thinking of the house full of people.

"Hopefully they won't find it..." she sighs, then jumping upon feeling someone breath on her bare neck.

"...Find what, Aya-chan?"

Goosebumps crawl up her neck at the unexpected presence. Ayame immediately whips her head back, placing her hand on her shivering neck. She glares at the culprit.

"Yukina...how many times do I have to tell you? _Don't do that."_ Ayame says, glaring at the petite girl. Yukina giggles impishly, placing both hands on her cheeks.

"Te-he! Sorry, Aya-chan! Couldn't help it~!" Yukina says with a cute grin, Ayame sighs at her indifference.

She looks up, taking notice of the girl from earlier.

Feeling Ayame's curious stare, the red-head flinches, then muttering something under her breath. Ayame tilts her head at her reaction. Recently, a few people had done that to her, like Ema.

Yukina, upon seeing that Ayame had acknowledged her companion's existence, grins secretively, then tightly glomping at the girl's arm. Though seeming to want to protest, the girl grits her teeth, glaring down at the ground.

"Sorry! I forgot to introduce her, she's Azami Wada-chan! A pure, naïve, innocent freshman majoring in music with her noticable feature neing her apple red hair, which is obviously dyed!" she beams brightly, squeezing on the girl's arm even tighter. Yukina smiles devilishly before continuing. Ayame raises a brow.

"And, she's my new roommate and girlfriend!" she announces brightly, then softly pecking Azami on the cheek. Azami scrunches her face up, controlling her urge to puke.

Ayame's brows cross. She knew that Yukina was fine with experimenting, but she would never commit herself to a relationship. And judging by Azami's reaction, she didn't seem to keen either.

"...Y-yeah. That's right, she's my girlfriend!" Azami says, unintentionally too loud for her tastes. Ayame's eyes widen at her volume.

"O-okay. Good for you." Ayame mutters, staring at the girl whose cheeks currently matched her hair colour.

"E-eh?" Azami mumbles, her lips slightly parted. Her eyes dart around, confused on what to do. After a few stressing seconds, she gulps, making her move.

"W-well, she's mine now, so you can just back off!" she says, awkwardly wrapping her arm around Yukina, whose lips were shaking uncontrollably. Her eyes were watery, and looked as if she didn't burst out crying, she would end up crying instead. Yukina looks up, noticing Ayame's blank stare. She gives her a cheeky thumbs up paired with a cute grin. Ayame doesn't return the gesture.

_...So this is what's going on. _

She sighs, understanding of the current situation. The poor girl was probably tricked by Yukina to unwittingly entertain her. During the early days of knowing Yukina, Ayame was often tricked and pranked on also. She looks at the short-haired girl with eyes full of pity and understanding.

Azami flinches at Ayame's reaction.

"W-what's that look for?...Oh, uh...I get it, you're jealous!"

Although fully aware that she wasn't looking at her in jealousy, Azami just wanted to say whatever she could to get out of this situation. The stares and attention she was receiving were staring to get unbearable.

Seeing Ayame just stare at her blankly, Azami panics, wondering why she wasn't caring.

_Dammit, Shishido, you said it would be over quickly..._

Azami clicks her tongue, staring deeply into Ayame's eyes.

"...Oi, why the hell aren't you reacting?" Azami says, stuffing her hand into her pocket.

"What?" Ayame says, blinking a few times. Azami clicks her tongue, glaring at Ayame.

"After breaking her heart and moving away, is this all you've got!?" she yells.

Ayame stares at her in shock, before she eventually turns calm.

_So that's the set-up, huh?_

Yukina, unable to control herself anymore, erupts into laughter, banging her fist onto Azami's shoulder.

Bewildered, Azami whips her to face the laughing Yukina, her lips parted.

"...Huh?" Azami gasps, realization starting to sink in. She breathes in, her face flaring red.

She grits her teeth, "Shishido! How dare you trick me!"

Yukina, still laughing, avoids Azami's grasp, running away.

"Technically I wasn't lying~! She truly did break my heart, by moving away! She abandoned me, Azami-chan -that broke my heart!" Yukina yells, pacing away from Azami, who was running after her.

"You _said _that you wanted to make your ex-girlfriend jealous!" Azami shouts, then finally grabbing Yukina, pulling her by her loose clothing.

"Ah!" Yukina yelps, falling down to the ground. With a nervous smile, she looks up.

"I wonder how I should get my revenge..." Azami whispers, looking down to Azami while cracking her knuckles. Yukina laughs at the sight, "Wah~! Azami-chan, you're so scary!"

"'Course I am, now let me beat you up-"

Just as Azami attempts to tickle Yukina, a grasp on the shoulder stops her. With a hint of caution, she looks back, meeting with Ayame's apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry about Yukina. Wada-san, was it? Don't worry, I'll take care of her for you." Ayame smiles tenderly. Azami, slightly nervous talking to a senior, slowly backs off.

"O-oh, yeah...Sure." She mutters, meekly looking down to the grass.

Ayame glares down at Yukina, who was smiling widely without a care in the world.

"Hello, my hero!" She flares her arms open, greeting her ex-roommate with a bright smile. Ayame sighs, then offering her a hand. Yukina graciously accepts

"Yukina, what were you thinking?" Ayame says, sternly looking into her friend's childish, hazel eyes, "I've told you before, don't play pranks, let alone on juniors."

Yukina giggles, hiding her hands behind her back. "But it's fun~! Especially Azami-chan, she's just so reactive!"

"Hah?" Azami says, glaring at the child-like girl.

Yukina giggles yet again, "Hehe!"

Ayame sighs at her indifference, then staring down at the girl just like a mother getting ready to scold her child.

"Yukina, don't you think you have something to say?"

"Hmm..." Yukina places her hand to her chin, looking at the sky quizzically. With a cheeky smile, she faces the two college girls again, "I never lied, so I technically don't have to say the 's' word."

"You _said_ she was your ex!" Azami yells, clenching her fists together.

"Oh, but she is." Yukina purrs, then clinging on Ayame's arm. She looks up at the taller girl with saddened eyes, "Or were we just a fragment of my imagination? Just like the movies?"

Azami cringes, then raising her headphones up to her ears.

Ayame looks down at the girl, sighing. "Yukina, stop it. You're getting carried away."

With a pout, Yukina reluctantly slides off. With a hand on cheek, she sighs deeply.

"Well, if Aya-chan says so..."

"And it doesn't matter what I say?" Azami irritably grumbles, crossing her arms. Yukina looks back to her junior, smiling impishly.

"Well, of course. You're the junior and I'm the senior, after all. The hierarchy demands so." Yukina reasons, blowing a comforting kiss at the girl. Azami cringes yet again, covering her shuddering arms.

"Oh, you homophobe." Yukina pouts, though grinning amusedly.

Azami looks away from strawberry-blonde, muttering under her breath, "It's you that I have a problem with, not gays."

Yukina giggles, staring into Azami's forest green eyes.

"Well, the angel that I am, why don't we go out to eat? I know this really good café, the cakes are really good!" Yukina says, raising her arms in the air.

"I _refuse_. I have better things to do than hang out with you." Azami scowls.

"Eh~? What a shame...Then I guess Aya-chan's gonna have to come along instead!" Yukina says, not seeming fazed at all. She glomps on Ayame's arm, to which she receives a heavy sigh.

"No thank you. I've learnt from my previous experience that hanging out with you only ends up with me suffering."

Azami nods in agreement, crossing her arms.

"Agreed."

Ayame looks at the girl, and receives a friendly grin. She smiles back.

She had a feeling that they going to get along just fine, even with the awkward introduction.

Sensing the two's bonding moment, Yukina immediately protests with a pout, "Hey! I'm plenty of fun!"

Azami whips her head away, her short auburn hair flicking against her pierced ears.

"Hmph!"

Yukina sticks her tongue at her roommate before returning her gaze to Ayame.

"I don't get what's so bad. You made up with Subaru in the end, didn't you?" Yukina says, frowning.

Ayame stares in Yukina's hazel in shock, as she hadn't mentioned a word to Yukina about their situation.

"How did you know?" She asks. Yukina giggles impishly "Well, along with the fact that you were less 'tense'," she says, twirling her blonde lock, "I also have my connections..."

Ayame blinks a couple of times, before she realizes from Yukina's smug smirk what she meant.

"Ah...Murano-san?" she guesses.

"Correct! As expected of Aya-chan, quick to catch on. We exchanged phone-numbers."

Ayame blinks in surprise, "That's rare."

Yukina lets out a giggle, before her lips form into a sly grin, "It turns out that he was true to his words."

Ayame sighs, knowing of what she was talking about.

"But I made sure to get revenge for you, so don't worry!"

Ayame crosses her brows. "What do you mean by, 'revenge'?"

Smiling mischievously, Yukina flips out her phone. After a few seconds of fiddling around with the device, she displays a photo to Ayame.

Ayame stares at the photo, her breath slightly hitching.

It was Yukina doing the duck face next to a sleeping -and naked- Kazumasa under the sheets. Anybody could tell they just had done 'the deed'.

"Heh! That bastard, the moment he gets a girlfriend, I'll show her this! Let's see how he likes it being harassed!" Yukina huffs her chest triumphantly, wearing a wide grin.

"But you'll still call him when you want him?"

Yukina grins impishly, "But I'll still call him when I want him."

Ayame sighs. There was nothing to be done about this girl.

Satisfied that she had managed to report her impish doings, Yukina prepares for departure, tucking her phone away in her purse.

"Well, we're off. Bye, Azami-chan- huh? She's gone..." Yukina says, looking off into the distance. However, her disappointed frown quickly turns into a cheery smile, "Oh well! We'll see each other at home, anyway!"

She turns to meet eyes with her best friend, "Let's go, Aya-chan!"

With an energetic smile, she whisks Ayame away, to Ayame's reluctance.

* * *

"We have arrived!" Yukina says, her arms sprawled in the air. She looks back to Ayame, who was a few metres away. Ayame sighs at her ex-roommate's energy. It wasn't as if Ayame was a slow walker, but that Yukina was just really fast.

Yukina waits for Ayame to catch up. Together, the two college girls enter the stylish café. Ayame eyes gleam a little by the hip atmosphere. This was definitely a place where Yukina would go.

The café had two floors, resembling the Sunrise Residence. Speaking of the residence, it was unusually close to her home, being only two streets away; one if you took the shortcut. Round lights dangled from the ceiling, resembling hand-made solar systems found at science fairs. Pot plants were scattered around every corner, giving the café an environmentally friendly atmosphere. Along the windows were pristine white stools, and near the barista bar sat long, space-blue couches.

"Where do you want to sit? The terrace? The inside?" Yukina asks, looking at their options.

Ayame looks out to the terrace, which seemed quite pleasing. Having small angel statues scattered around the lavender garden, it looked like a garden from olden Europe. It was also rather sunny, though windy. Thinking more carefully, her long, untied hair would go wild, flying through the wind, and would become a distraction from her tea and sweets. Although the terrace was appealing, she crosses it off her list. Her eyes instead trail up the upstairs.

Though she couldn't see much from where she was standing, Ayame could hear the hoarse laughter of young guys around their age. She frowns. If they were to sit there, they would most likely be hit on, with Yukina's enchanting looks too enticing to resist. And, of course, Yukina would reciprocate their flirts, not matter who they were. As cliché as it was, Yukina loved love. Or rather, the physicality that came along with it.

She observes their current floor.

The bottom floor was full of their gender, having only one to three guys. Most common were fellow college girls, who were either seated alone, waiting for their dates or boyfriends, or in a pack; chatting away with their friends, cute giggles escaping from their chapstick lips. In the crowd were also office ladies, typing away at their Apple laptops with focused gazes; paying no heed to waiting waiters and waitress', being satisfied by their single cup of coffee.

Seeing the bottom floor as her only option, Ayame makes her pick.

"There." Ayame says, pointing to a lone table just by a large window.

Her companion hums, seemingly happy with her decision.

As they near their seat, Yukina's cherry red heels confidently clack against the teal wood floor, with Ayame's comfortable flats making no noise.

The two girls sit on the cushioned, white stools. Soon, a waitress comes over, providing them with laminated menus. Ayame flashes a polite smile before the waitress walks off to cater another customer.

Yukina looks down to the menu with an excited smile, "I wonder what I should get? Mont blanc? Castella? Shortcake?"

Ayame looks down to her menu also, wondering on what to get. After a few seconds, she settles with jasmine tea and strawberry shortcake -thinking of the time Fuuto devoured her awaited cake.

"I've decided. You?" Ayame stares at Yukina dazedly, who was focused on the menu. Seeing that Yukina would take a while, she sighs, her eyes wandering off.

Feeling slightly sleepy, she closes her eyes, letting her hearing take over as the main sense. The chatter earlier from the college girls' seems to have stopped,with a waiter with a smooth, calm familiar voice taking their orders.

_Familiar?...Wait, this voice is-_

Slightly bewildered, she snaps her eyes open.

"And what would you like for today?" Iori says with a charming smile, earning mesmerised stares from the college girls, some even drooling.

"Uh, um...w-what would you recommend?" one of the more assertive girls muster out.

Iori smiles politely, making the girls' hearts swoon.

"The most popular item is the chocolate Mont Blanc, only costing ¥300. I also assure the taste." he smiles, then frowning slightly, "But..."

"But?" the quartet of girls curiously repeat, staring at the enchanting boy. His smile returns.

"But, I would personally recommend the mousse cake. It's a little pricey, but its taste lives up to its cost."

_Mousse cake? _

Ayame crosses her brows. By memory, that was the most expensive item on the menu, costing an over-priced ¥1200. Seeing the silent smile on the boy, she comes to the realization: he was swindling. Her mouth gapes in shock.

_That _Iori was swindling?

Though, she had to admit, the faces on the girls were hilarious. Even as she was shocked, she felt prideful of her little brother, even if what wasn't doing wasn't exactly right.

"...Plus, I would be very happy if you would be able to experience it." He continues, smiling hopefully. At his adorable puppy-dog face, the girls swoon in adoration and immediately fall in his trap.

"We'll get it!"

Faking relief, Iori smiles charmingly, purposely softening his eyes. "Thank you, I'm happy."

The girls stare at him in adoration as he walks off to deliver their order.

_...Iori. You sly fox. _

She smirks knowingly, trying to muffle her laughter.

Ayame's muffled chuckles entering her ears, Yukina snaps out of her focus, staring at Ayame perplexed.

"...Aya-chan? What is it?" Yukina asks, staring at her friend who was trembling as she buried her face in the table.

"N-nothing..." she manages to mumble out without laughing. Yukina stares at her friend suspiciously, curiosity starting to bug her.

"No really, what is it?" she asks, sliding her chair closer. Ayame just shakes her head, waving her off.

Feeling slightly impatient, Yukina decides to use Ayame's most hated strategy: Be loud in public.

"Aya-chan~! Tell me~! Ayame Hinata-_chan!_" Yukina whines, acting like a child.

"Y-Yukina!"

"Ayame Hinata-chan~!" she yells, banging teaspoons on the table.

As planned, the surrounding people turn to look at them, including the college girls from before.

Ayame groans in embarrassment. Seeing that she was still carrying on, Ayame hurriedly covers Yukina's mouth with her hand.

"I swear to god, Yukina! Won't you just shut up for-"

"...Ayame nee-san?"

Ayame pales at the voice, frozen in her spot. Slowly, she moves her head to face the beautiful boy.

"H-hi..." she says, laughing awkwardly. Yukina eyes the handsome boy curiously. He was wearing the waiter's uniform, which was composed of a black button up shirt paired with a striped tie of black and grey. His pants were long and black, giving an 'official' feel. Wrapped around his waist was a half-apron, and alike the tie, was also striped.

The beautiful stranger stares at Ayame for a few seconds before a small smile worms its way up, seemingly happy with her presence. Yukina raises a brow at his pleased expression, her gut feeling whispering to her.

"Nee-san, if you told me you were here..."

Seeing his smile, Ayame's cheeks turn faintly pink, a smile appearing.

"Well, I-"

Realizing that Ayame's hand was still on her mouth, Yukina licks it, causing Ayame to instantly back off.

"Gross, Yukina!" Ayame scowls, wiping her hands with her skirt.

"It's your fault, you wouldn't let go," Yukina huffs her chest, crossing her arms. Feeling Iori's stare on her, she looks up to him with a sly grin. "A cutie. Is he taken?"

"Yukina." Ayame says, warning her.

"Hehe!"

"...And this person here is?" Iori asks, staring at Yukina. Yukina cheerfully introduces herself, cutely grinning.

"Yukina Shishido. Aya-chan's bestie! You? Wait, let me guess!" Yukina stops him as he was about to introduce himself, rubbing her temples.

"Hm...yes, yes...I see..." She mumbles, earning a sigh from Ayame. A few seconds pass, and she flashes her eyes open, "Aya-chan's boytoy-"

As if it were a common routine, Ayame calmly smacks Yukina on her head with the menu. Yukina yelps, jerking her head. Whining, she holds her head with a pout.

"What was that for?"

"Being an idiot. This is my new step-brother, Iori. Be polite, and _don't _hit on him. Roger that?" Ayame says in her stern voice, staring into Yukina's feline eyes. In response, Yukina just smiles mysteriously. Ayame tilts her head at her expression, but her attention quickly focuses on Iori.

"Have you already ordered?" He asks, wearing a polite smile.

Ayame shakes her head, wearing a smile, "No, not yet. Though I've decided."

She looks over to Yukina, nudging her with her elbow. "Hey, have you decided yet?"

Yukina nods enthusiastically, "Yep! The matcha tiramisu cake and maybe some green tea. Though I had trouble picking between the Mont Blanc and roll cake- oh no! Now I want them all! Ah~! Aya-chan, give me more time to-"

"One matcha tiramisu, green tea, one shortcake and jasmine tea, thanks." Ayame promptly orders, ignoring Yukina's plight.

"Ah...!" Yukina gasps, her lipstick pink lips parting.

"Understood. Is that all?" Iori says, wearing a small smile.

Ayame grins, "That's all."

"Understood."

With a smile, he walks off, delivering her order.

Pouting, Yukina lands her head to the table.

"You're so mean today..." She whispers, pursing her lips.

"How so?" Ayame calmly replies, placing the menu on the window sill.

Yukina raises her head, sticking out her tongue.

"Favouritism."

"Am not." Ayame protests, staring into Yukina's bored eyes.

"Pshh...That's your fatal flaw, you know that? Never become a teacher, I tell you. Students hate that sort of stuff."

Ayame gulps before replying. It was true, she had to admit. She did have a soft spot for Iori, and it definitely wasn't unnoticed by the others at home -let alone by Yukina.

"Perhaps, but how can you blame me? You're loud and sleep around every block in the street Iori on the other hand, is quiet, calm, gentle and responsible-" Her eyes gleam with pride and admiration as she carries on about her younger brother.

Yukina watches her friend as she boasts about the boy with the princely presence with bored eyes.

"Falling for your brother now, are you?" She deadpans, interrupting Ayame's speech. Ayame abruptly stops, freezing in her spot. After a few seconds, she redeems herself, staring into Yukina's eyes calmly.

"...I am not. We're siblings." she reasons, crossing her arms. Noticing Ayame's slightly disgruntled expression, Yukina smirks knowingly.

"I'm not doubtful, he _is_ your type."

"And my type is?" Ayame says, raising a brow.

"Younger pretty boys, you cougar."

"Yukina!" Ayame scolds, looking at her disapprovingly. Yukina whips her head to the side.

"Well, I'm not lying. You didn't deny it."

At her statement, Ayame flinches. Hurriedly, she tries to come up with an argument.

"I was just curious on what you thought my type was. And as I thought, you were wrong. I like hard-workers."

"Hm~? Is that so?" Yukina hums, placing her hand on her cheek.

"Yes. Now can we change the subject? This is getting stupid." Ayame sighs, sinking into her stool. Yukina stares at her uncomfortable looking friend for a few seconds, before a tolerant smile pops up.

"Sure."

At her answer, Ayame sighs in relief. It was never a good thing to argue with Yukina, she would always persist with good reasons and come out top. She could become a lawyer with her quick, cunning arguments.

"What are you doing for the cultural festival?" Yukina asks, leaving the other topic.

Ayame replies paired with a heavy sigh, "Dissecting animal body parts in the lab."

"Ew. Glad I'm not part of the biology department." Yukina says, scrunching up her face in displeasure, "Who'd even come to see that, anyway?"

Ayame sighs, "Hopeful biology students. What about you, then?"

Yukina smiles cheerfully, "You know how there's going to be a play, right? By Tsubomi Kirisaki in the literature department?"

Ayame nods her head. Yukina continues, "Well, the art club's going to provide the backgrounds as well as do an exhibit, so expect me to be busy this year. Ah, also, Azami-chan's going to provide the BGM, so if you come, listen in on the music too."

Ayame blinks in surprise. _That_ Yukina was going to work hard?

"...Huh. Surprising. What's the sudden motivation?"

Yukina giggles before replying mischievously, "...Well, there's a new art lecturer that's pretty cute. He said he'd love for me to take part more."

"I knew it." Ayame says, sighing.

"Hehe!" Yukina giggles, then suddenly stopping, "Oh, and-"

"Sorry for making you wait. One jasmine tea, green tea, shortcake and matcha tiramisu cake, correct?" Iori says, unwittingly cutting her off. Ayame and Yukina both turn to look at Iori, who arrived without a sound. He smiles apologetically as he serves them their tea and cakes, "I'm sorry, Shishido-san. As you were saying?"

Yukina stares at the princely boy for a while, making Iori slightly nervous. After a few seconds, her lips etches in an enigmatic smile.

"No, it's okay. I was just going to ask her when our cultural festival was." Yukina says, smiling at the boy. He blinks a couple of times before a small smile creeps up, "Really? The truth is, I'm also having a cultural festival." he turns to head to Ayame, "When is yours, Ayame nee-san?"

"November 16th." She says with a friendly smile.

"My one's on October 14th," he slightly hesitates before he continues, "...If you'd like, you can come, -Shishido-san can come too, if she wants."

Feeling slightly nervous, he mistakenly tacks on Yukina also, who happily accepts his offer.

"Yay! Then I'll take up your offer," Yukina beams, clasping her hands together with a wide smile, "You can come to our one, too! It'd be like an exchange!"

"Then, if it's no bother..." Iori says, smiling softly. Yukina grins impishly at his response.

She had something to look forward to now. Handsome boys and college girls studying at a women's college do not mix well. It would entertaining to witness the event.

"Then that's settled it! It'll be nice seeing you there, Iori-chan!" Yukina says while giggling, earning a cautious stare from Ayame. With that, Iori takes his leave, getting back to work.

With Iori gone, the two girls begin eating their meal, exchanging the usual playful banter. Around ten minutes pass, and the two complete their meal, with Yukina rubbing her tummy contentedly.

"Ah~ That was delicious! Maybe I should order more..." Yukina says, grabbing the menu off the window sill. Ayame sighs at her friend's gluttonous stomach that was like a black hole.

"Seriously, how are you still slim after eating like a pig?" She says.

Yukina laughs proudly, "Genetics!"

At her carefree answer, Ayame sighs.

"The human body is a mysterious thing, indeed..."

A few seconds after her sentence, Iori comes up, seemingly finished with catering with customers.

"Hi. Not as busy anymore?" Ayame says, and receives a smile. She chuckles softly, then stopping upon noticing three cakes in his hands.

"We didn't..." She tries to say, but is stopped by his knowing smile.

Spotting the cakes also, Yukina brights up immediately, her eyes twinkling with joy and anticipation.

"I-Iori-chan...Are those...freebies?" She stutters out, staring at the prized goodies with trembling hands.

He smiles assuringly, "Yes."

At that, she jumps up.

"Iori-chan, you're the-"

Just as Yukina was about to pounce on him, Ayame yelps. Iori and Yukina immediately whip their heads around, their eyes widening.

The leftover tea that Yukina had neglected to finish spilled all over Ayame's arm, which was resting just right near it.

"Aya-chan!" Yukina immediately rushes over to Ayame's side, her eyes darting like crazy. Ayame slowly releases her hand from her arm, and smiles shakily at Yukina.

"...It's okay, it's cooled down significantly. I was just overreacting, It won't make a burn." She says, smiling kindly at Yukina, whose face washed with guilt.

"But- but-"

To ease Yukina's tension, Ayame strokes her head, smiling reassuringly.

"It's fine, it wasn't your fault. You just got a little excited." she says, cupping her cheek. Calmed by her gentle and forgiving expression, Yukina nods, backing off from Ayame.

"...Roger that~!" Yukina grins, although a little forced. Ayame smiles at her effort.

"Now, just to be on the safe side, I'll go wash my arm. I'll be right back." Ayame says, getting off her chair.

Just as she passes by him, Iori grabs her wrist -the one that wasn't spilled on, of course. She looks back to see his worried expression.

"...Nee-san, are you sure you'll be alright? Although it wasn't boiling, it still might scar-"

She pinches his cheeks, to his surprise.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Ten minutes passed since we got the tea, it was only a little hot." Ayame assures, then slapping his cheeks lightly. "I'm going to the bathroom, I'll be right back."

"Aya-chan, do you want me to go with?" Yukina offers, her voice slightly shaky. Ayame looks back, staring at her unsettled friend.

"Nope. But the best thing you can do for me is calm down, and be Yukina. You're best attribute is being carefree, so be sure to use it tp the best of your ability."

At that, Yukina reluctantly nods, then nodding again -this time with a big, wide grin.

"Okay~! Take care, Aya-chan!" she says, beaming brightly. With a smile, Ayame walks off to cool down her arm. A few seconds pass of awkward silence.

"You two...are very close, aren't you?" Iori speaks up, his eyes lingered on Ayame's retreating form. Yukina, though slightly dazed, quickly replies to his statement.

"Yes, incredibly so!" Yukina beams, happy to have an outsider to finally agree. Yukina pauses before continuing. Her best attribute was being carefree -and teasing.

Feeling calmer -and slightly more cunning- a small grin worms up, "...So much that she's my nude model for my major work! Isn't she so nice~?" Yukina says, expecting a big reaction from the high-schooler, but a reaction she does not get.

Iori only pauses for a few seconds before replying with an obligatory smile, "Yes, I would believe so. Ayame nee-san is a very kind sister to me, after all."

_What a boring reaction._ She thinks to herself, pouting. For her to return to normal Yukina, she needed a big reaction.

"Hm..." She hums, bored with his reaction, but then an interesting idea pops up in her mind.

"Ah!" She gasps suddenly, clasping her hands with a bright smile. Iori tilts his head.

"I actually have the practice sketch here!" Yukina says out of nowhere, looking through her bag for her art book. "Do you want to see? It's one of my proudest work!"

Even the usually calm Iori was a little surprised by her little antic, but surprisingly follows along anyway.

After all, art was art. It wasn't like it was a picture. She was probably posed in a stiff, formal pose, that was more artistic than sexual.

"Sure." He says with a calm smile.

"Yay!" She practically squeals, but then suddenly turning serious.

"Oh and let me warn you..." She says, then whispering in his ear, "It's quite...experimental, if I might say."

"...Eh?" He breathes, finally cracking a little. Yukina smiles discreetly, feeling triumphant.

_Just a little more..._

"I just can't wait to show you! Even my art teacher praised it as one of my best!" Yukina flips through the pages at god speed, as she knew the book as much as she knew herself.

Though she was flipping through it extremely quickly, Iori manages to catch glimpses of her other sketches...which were less than appropriate.

Majority of her artwork were of men or woman performing sexual innuendos, or posing in extremely erotic and eye-raising poses.

And her technique was something else. Each freckle, each wrinkle- was drawn. Every single detail was there, and didn't look out of place. If he saw her drawings from far away, he would've definitely thought that it was a photograph.

He gulps nervously, realizing what kind of situation he may have gotten himself. Seeing as all the other drawings were all in extremely sexual poses, there was a fair chance that Ayame was also posed in such a way, which frankly made Iori strangely nervous.

He was invading his sister's privacy, and he knew he had to stop her, otherwise he would never be able to look into Ayame's eyes ever again.

Though his curiosity was strong, he decides to stop her.

"Excuse me, Yukina-san-" He attempts to warp her attention, but Yukina(purposely)interrupts him with an excited shout, "Oh, there it is! Skipped a few pages, I see..."

Yukina then proceeds to turn back a few pages, where Ayame's scandalous sketch was.

Iori knew he had to look away, but his eyes glued to the pages. He couldn't turn his eyes away from Yukina's fingers, which were turning the pages quickly, but not to Iori, who felt as if it were taking an eternity.

"A-ha! Here it is, my masterpiece!" Yukina says gleefully, proudly gazing at it. Iori takes it in, nervously peeking, but is surprised at what he found.

"Ta-da! Pablo Picasso style!" Yukina squeals out, putting her hands in the air, "You see, I usually paint in a realistic style, but for my major work, I wanted to spice things up a bit! And guess what? My teachers loved it! They said it was great of me to branch out-" Yukina continues to ramble, boasting about her work.

Iori stares at the artwork blankly.

Different to what he had expected, the painting wasn't painted in great detail as the other sketches were, and was almost like a child's drawing.

The colours were bright and energetic, with yellows and oranges, contrasting to the dark, sexual colours she usually used. He could hardly even make out it was Ayame.

Iori continues to stare at it, unable to hide his shock. Yukina then innocently looks up. "Huh? What's wrong?" She puts on her puppy face, "Are you disappointed?"

Iori quickly snaps out of it, and reassures her. "No, not at all. It's a very pretty work -I especially like the colours." He smiles, praising politely.

Yukina then shakes her head. "No, not that, silly!"

Iori tilts his head, pondering on by what she meant.

Yukina then smiles devilishly, proceeding to grip his thigh firmly, shocking Iori. "I mean...your parts below. Are they disappointed?" She purrs in his ear, then tracing her fingers up and down his leg. Iori freezes in shock, feeling very uncomfortable.

Yukina sees his face, and then suddenly bursts into loud laughter. "Ahahahaha!" She laughs loudly, banging the table like crazy, attracting the attention of nearby guests.

She chokes on her spit, and starts coughing, but then starts laughing again, alienating herself from the other customers.

"_Yukina!_" Ayame, who had witnessed the scandalous gripping and purring, rushes towards them.

"Oh, poodles. Seems like fun time is over." Yukina pouts, seemingly disappointed. She then grabs out a 1000 yen note, placing the money on the table, and cheerfully says her goodbyes, "See you soon, Pervy Prince!"

_Pervy Prince?_ Iori wonders at her peculiar choice of nickname, but is too late to question anything, as the happy-go-lucky college girl rushes out of the café, possibly fearful of what was to come.

After a few seconds, Ayame arrives next to Iori, sighing.

"And just when I thought she would calm down..." Ayame sighs, her palm resting on her forehead. She looks up to boy, "I'm sorry about her. She can be a little...touchy, at times."

He smiles at her reassuringly, "That's okay. More importantly," he looks down to her arm, then lifting it. "Is your arm okay?"

"It's not going to cause a burn, that's for sure." She says with a warm smile, then gently sliding off his hand, feeling slightly uncomfortable with his touch. "Well, seeing as I've got no business left, I'll be going. See you at dinner."

"Ah, wait." Iori says, stopping Ayame in her tracks.

"Hm?" Ayame hums, looking back to the waiter.

"What should I do with the cakes?" he says, pointing to the abandoned pastries.

Ayame stares at the cakes for a few seconds, a slight frown appearing.

"Just wrap them up and take them home. We'll have it together with Wataru, seeing as last time it didn't go well." she says, receiving a smile from the boy. Spotting the 1000 yen note resting on the table, her brows knit together.

"...Hey, is that enough money?" she says, pointing at the note. He smiles assuringly.

"No, but that's fine. I was planning on treating you in the first place." He says. Ayame shakes her head.

"No, no. I'll pay. I _am_ the older one, after all. I can't just let a high schooler pay for me." She says, getting out her wallet. Seeing that Iori looked ready to protest, she reassures him as she goes through her wallet.

"It's fine, it's fine. It's only around...500, 700 yen? I can pay at least that much-...huh?" She abruptly stops, looking at her empty wallet with bulged eyes.

_...Oh yeah. I'm broke. _

She clicks her tongue, remembering the time she had to use up all her money for Subaru. But to think that she didn't have at least 100 yen? Pathetic.

Ayame sighs to herself. It was time to get a job. Maybe she could ask one of the brothers if they knew a place that needed new workers.

"...Nee-san?" Iori says, noticing her irritable expression. She looks up to him with a guilty smile, telling him all he needed to know.

He chuckles softly, to her embarrassment.

"I got it. I'll see you soon."

And with that, she exits the store, leaving Iori to focus on his work.

* * *

Spotting a noticeable blonde girl amidst a bunch of black heads, Ayame calls out to her, "Yukina!"

Yukina looks back, wearing a mischievous grin. She stops for Ayame, letting her catch up.

"Hi, Aya-chan! Please don't kill me." Yukina begs lightly, wearing a cheeky grin.

"Yukina...what were you thinking?" Ayame says, sighing.

"Relieving some stress. How's your arm, by the way?" Yukina says, cocking her head.

Ayame raises her arm, showing it to Yukina. Seeing that there would be no scar, Yukina lets out a small sigh of relief, then quickly covering it up with a giggle.

"Sorry!" Yukina lightly apologizes, then continuing, "So, does Iori-chan hate me now? Aw, I hope not!"

"No, and you're lucky he doesn't. He asked if I was okay instead." Ayame explains. Yukina clasps her hands together, squealing in delight.

"Aw, Iori-chan's so cute! I feel like gobbling him up like I did the cakes!"

"Yukina." Ayame says, warning her for the hundredth time.

"Don't you worry, Aya-chan! He's not my type."

"But didn't you just say he was perfect?"

"Perfect's not my type. I like someone with flaws...like you!"

"Oi...what do you mean by that?" Ayame says, raising a brow.

Yukina giggles impishly, "Ehehe!"

The two walk in silence for a while until Ayame hears Yukina whisper quietly, "...Also, he stinks."

Ayame tilts her head, as she thought Iori smelt quite lovely, like flowers.

"Yukina, I'm starting to doubt your sense of smell."

"No, my smell is perfectly fine! Perhaps too good, you know? And I'm not talking about his body smell, cause he smells absolutely delicious." Yukina says, breathing deeply then exhaling blissfully.

Ayame stares blankly at her friend.

"But he does! Like flowers..." She sighs dreamily, placing her palm to her chest.

Ayame sighs, "Then what do you mean by 'he stinks'?"

"Hmm..." Yukina looks up to the sky, wearing a mysterious expression. "...Well, you'll probably know in time. In fact, if it's you, you've probably already noticed."

"What do you mean by that?"

Ayame wonders at her cryptic message, tilting her head.

"Like I said, in time! Now, see you later, Mommy~! I'm gonna go catch a different hunk, seeing as my target turned out to be your little brother!"

"Wait, Yukina-"

Before she could protest, Yukina runs out of sight. Ayame sighs, as she knew that she wasn't going to catch up, even if she tried.

_...Target? _

Her eyes twitch at the word. Realizing that she came for an entirely different reason, Ayame sighs irritably.

"God dammit, Yukina..."

Seeing as there was no point going back to Shiba, she walks home to the residence.

* * *

Since then, a few hours had passed, with Ukyo and Ema getting ready for dinner. Ayame watches them boredly, as she had no role for tonight's dinner, which was Italian.

"Ema-san, could you pass me the sifter?" Ukyo asks. Ema nods her head, then passing him the item.

Ayame sighs. Recently, this was the common routine. She would come home, ask what they were cooking, and be answered with the impossible. Frankly, it was irritating. Bored, she reflects on today's events, then remembering a certain thing she had told herself.

"Ah." she gasps out, earning Ukyo's and Ema's attention. Ema tilts her head, "What is it, Aya-nee?"

Ayame looks at the apron-donning Ema, "I was just thinking, I really need a job."

At her sentence, Ema's face drops, obviously unhappy with her statement.

"...Why? You're busy enough..." Ema mutters under breath, looking down to the ground. Ayame, though noticing her disappointed tone, pays no heed and answers her question.

"I'm actually pretty broke. I was just thinking that if I want to go out, I've got to at least have some cash ready." She says.

"If it's about money, you could just get Dad to give you allowance. It's not like he'll refuse-"

At her suggestion, Ayame grimaces. Ask her happy-go-lucky, good-for-nothing father?

"Over my dead body," she spits out, looking offended by the very suggestion, "Literally. Over my dead body."

Ema sighs at her sister's reaction, "You know, if there's something from childhood that hasn't changed, it's your dislike of Papa."

"I wouldn't call it dislike. I would call it a clash of personalities." Ayame argues.

Ema sighs in defeat, "So? What sort of work do you want?"

Ayame hums, her finger to her chin, "Something quiet. I want to work at a quaint little place. Preferably out of people's sight."

Ema knits her brows, "Why?"

"There's somebody I want to avoid disturbing me at all costs. Anyway, do you have any ideas?" Ayame says hurriedly, unnaturally changing the subject. Though dissatisfied, Ema answers her question anyway, "No, not really. My friend works at McDonalds but that's about it."

"I actually know this one place that fits your criteria and is searching for new workers." Ukyo says, joining in the conversation.

Ayame's eyes beam at the news, "Really? What's it like?"

Ukyo smiles at Ayame, sifting the noodles, "It's a small yet cozy establishment. It's rather, unique, in a way that it's a library and cafe at day, and jazz club by night. Me and- an acquaintance, visited there a few times. The owners are very friendly, so I have no doubt you'll like them. Though one can be a little touchy."

"Hm...It sounds very appealing. I'll go take a job interview soon, then. Where is it?" Ayame says, smiling brightly.

Ukyo chuckles at her veiled excitement, then telling her the address.


	12. Chapter 11: The Charming Elderly Couple

Checking if her clothing looked alright for the third time, Ayame stands in front of a brick building, covered in ivy. To double check if she was at the right place, she takes a peek at the window, a recruitment poster pasted on the glass.

_Wanting new workers. Preferably young and 'hip', if you know what I'm sayin'. Ha!_

Ayame sighs at the carefree attitude of the person in charge. He was probably a very lax boss by the look of things, which was reassuring. Though doubtful if she was 'hip', she certainly was young. At least one of the requirements were fulfilled.

Taking one last check of her hair, she enters 'The Elderly's Place'.

Upon entry, the sound of silent sipping of coffee and pages flipping immediately muse her ears. Ayame looks around the library, as well as cafe. The atmosphere was relaxing and quiet, little noise being made by the few customers present. On one side of the place was a multitude of bookshelves full of antique-looking books. Vintage leather couches scatter about the library side, with newer, wooden chairs resting on the cafe side, which she couldn't blame them for. The couches looked ancient yet expensive, still being of use even with its old age. She wouldn't want coffee stain on it either.

Her eyes trail down to the furthest end, finished with a raised platform, hidden by long, white curtains. Ayame cocks her head to the side, wondering what was behind. Though, considering if she got the job, she would find out eventually, she shrugs off the thought.

Spotting two elderly down at the barista bar, supposedly the owners, she makes her way down, arriving in front of a man reading a well-worn book sitting on a rocking chair.

Noticing a shadow hover over him, he peeks up, a curious glint in his black pearl eyes. Folds of old, flabby skin overlap as he raises a grayed brow, his reading glasses drooping down his hooked nose.

"...Hon, if it's coffee you want, my wife's serving it." He says, staring at the bespectacled girl. Seeing that he misunderstood, Ayame hurriedly explains, leaning closer to the old man in case he had hearing problems.

"Oh, no. That's not the reason I'm here today."

"Hrm?" he mumbles, keeping his brow raised.

"I'm here to take the job interview. The poster outside said-"

Suddenly, the man's thin, cracked lips erupt in a big, wide smile, showing off his yellowed teeth, or lack thereof. He jumps off his chair, taking Ayame in a big, bear hug. Bewildered, she tries to push the small man off, but to no avail. Cackling like a crow, he whips his head back.

"Hiyoko! We've caught one, she's here for the job!" He yells out to his wife.

"Dear, you make it sound as if we're out fishing." Hiyoko sighs, washing a china teacup with an embroidered tea towel.

"Ha-ha! But we are! And we've caught one! A big, plump tuna fish!" He boasts, letting go of Ayame to do a little tap dance.

_P-plump? _Ayame thinks, her eyes widening at the old man's sudden energy. With a complicated frown, she looks down to her stomach, squeezing little of the fat she had. _I'm not fat...at least in my opinion. _

Finished with doing his little dance, he receives a few claps and laughs from regular customers who were used to his little antics.

With a proud, wide grin, he bows graciously to the small crowd of customers.

"Thank you, thank you!" He says with a hearty laugh, then twirling with a click of his wrinkled fingers around to face Ayame, who was more than bewildered. She had expected him to be carefree, but not to tap dance out of nowhere.

With a gentlemanly smile, he bows, a wrinkly hand to his green grandpa sweater.

"May I ask for a dance?" He says, looking up with a wide, child-like grin unfitting of his age.

"Well...um," She struggles to answer, staring at the old dwarf with glazed eyes.

"I'll take that as a yes!" He beams, carelessly placing his hand on her hip, with his other intertwining her fingers.

"Wah...!" she yelps, as she is suddenly whisked into dancing the waltz. The small group of regular customers cheer; some chuckling, some clapping. The first-timer customers give the waltzing duo strange looks, then going back to their cup of tea or book.

Noticing the melancholic tune he was humming, Ayame crosses her brows.

"My...funny valentine?" She blurts out, earning a sharp gasp from the elderly man. After a few seconds of staring into Ayame's eyes with a look of disbelief, he lets out a cackle.

"Haha! Hiyoko, this girl's the one! She knows jazz!" He yells to his wife, earning a sigh from his life-long companion.

"I swear, Dear...After all these years, it's all about jazz..." She sighs, her hand to her forehead. At his wife's comment, he lets out a hearty laugh. He looks back to Ayame, that childish gleam still in his eyes. He places his hand on her back, then tipping her over.

"Kyah!" Ayame squeals, feeling unstable by a weakening elderly's grip. Despite her fervent panic, he only laughs, the customers joining in also.

"Dear, oh dear..." Hiyoko sighs, averting her gaze from her husband. Huffing her chest, she calls out to him, "Kojirou! Give it a break, the poor girl's terrified."

Kojirou, knowing not to cross his wife when she called him by name, quickly brings Ayame back up, then releasing her with a cheeky smile. The customers, realizing that the fun was over, return to their usual activities.

"Sorry, lass...But, you had fun, no?" he says in between breaths. Ayame, also breathless, only nods her head, no longer having the ability to care.

At her answer, he lets out a snort, then coughing. Wheezing, he returns to his rocking chair, trying to regain his breath.

After a few seconds of heavy breathing, he gives out a wide smile.

"I think...I got a bit too excited for my age." he says, coughing soon after.

With a sigh, his wife kindly passes him a cup of water over the counter. Looking up, he takes the cup with a grin.

"Thank you, little bird."

"You're welcome, dear." She sighs, then returning to the register, where a valued customer was waiting. Hiyoko greets him with a gentle smile.

Slowly sipping the cup, he looks up to Ayame invitingly, persistently pointing at a nearby chair. Politely nodding, she meekly prods across to the fluffy, leather armchair. Upon sitting on it, she immediately sinks into the springy, comfortable seat. Wanting to look more presentable, she quickly switches her position, sitting upright. However, she instantly sinks again. With a quizzical glint to her eyes, she attempts again.

Seeing her struggle to remain proper, Kojirou chuckles, his fist resting on his wrinkly cheek.

"You should give up. That thing's like quicksand; you'll never be able to escape its claws." He advises, looking at the girl.

Taking his advice, she allows herself to sink in the chair with an embarrassed blush. He lets out a chuckle, making her blush deepen.

Now finished with drinking, he reaches out to place the cup on the limestone counter-top. He focuses his stare to Ayame, "Now, young lady, what's your name?"

With a curt bow, she answers him, "Ayame Hinata, nineteen years old -soon to be twenty."

He whistles suavely, "A nineteen baby, ey? Way younger than us. Am I right, birdy?"

He whips his head around to his wife, who was busy with a customer. She waves him off with her hand, preoccupied with taking the man's order.

Seeing his wife was not in the mood to baby him, he returns his gaze to Ayame.

"So, you want the job?" He says, staring into her eyes keenly.

Ayame blinks, but quickly replies anyway. "Yes."

He grins at her answer.

"Hired. You look like my little bird before she needed a cane." Kojirou cackles, laughing at his own statement. Ayame stares at the man in shock. Was it _that _easy to get a job?

"Thank you, dear." Hiyoko chuckles softly, pouring a cup of coffee for a customer. With a gentle smile, she passes it to the woman, "Hopefully it is to your taste."

The man graciously smiles, then walking off to a lone table. Seeing that his wife had no qualms about her being hired, Ayame panics slightly, as the unorthodox made her nervous.

"E-excuse me!"

Kojirou turns around to look at the unsettled girl with a curious gleam in his black eyes, "Hm? What's the problem, doll?"

"Aren't you going to ask me questions?"

"Hm...favourite food?" He says, tilting his head. Ayame sighs at his oblivious manner.

"Dear, I think she means job-orientated questions, not personal ones." Hiyoko perks up, leaning her elbow on the counter top. Kojirou throws his hands in the air.

"Well, I don't know what to ask! I've never held one of these 'job interview' things, or whatever!" Kojirou yaps, whipping his head to see his elderly wife. Hiyoko sighs, then looking up to the small, swaying chandelier.

"Hm...Then," Hiyoko says, a finger to her chin. "Any injuries, or health issues of the sort?"

Seeing Ayame's expression tense, Hiyoko regrets asking the question. Ayame looks down, her hand travelling to her wrist.

"...A small, physical handicap." Ayame whispers.

"Hrm? What you say? Speak up for the elderly, we don't hear stuff." Kojirou asks, scooting closer to Ayame.

Hiyoko glares at her husband's inability to read the mood, then sighing.

_He hasn't changed, even after all these years..._

She looks up to see Ayame stare at her oblivious husband. A few more seconds pass, and Ayame gives him a small smile. Hiyoko raises a brow, curious on her change of demeanor.

"I have a small wrist injury that doesn't allow me to raise my left hand. See?" Ayame says, lifting up her left hand. Her hand twitches slightly at her attempt, but doesn't raise any further. It was like her hand was a 180 degree angle, not going any higher, stuck to its position.

Curious, Kojirou reaches out, trying to raise her hand.

At her husband's rude action, Hiyoko lets out a sharp gasp, then scowling at her husband.

"Kojirou! Let go of Ayame-san's wrist at once -that is so rude!" Hiyoko says, scolding him as if wasn't her husband but rather, child. Ignoring his wife's demand, he continues to stare at Ayame's wrist as if it were a complex mystery.

"...It's true. It doesn't raise." He mutters, staring at her wrist with mesmerized eyes. With a child-like twinkle in his aged, experienced eyes, he looks up to her.

"...Does it lower?" He asks curiously, pushing up his glasses as he scoots closer to her.

"See for yourself." She replies with a small, tolerant smile. With a focused stare, he reaches out to her wrist. He lowers her hand downwards.

"At least it lowers," he mumbles, then looking up her, "How'd it happen?"

At his question, her expression becomes guarded once again, losing her smile. Seeing that she had turned distant again, Hiyoko slaps her husband's bald head with a damp tea towel.

"Hiyoko! What was that for?" He scowls, whipping his head around to face his cross wife.

"You're in between the lines of being curious and rude, and just about stepping over the bad side of the bed. Control yourself, will you?" She huffs, glaring at him. Feeling Hiyoko's scowl, he shrinks back, feeling threatened by a woman of seventy-three.

"'Control yourself will you'..." He mimics sulkily, flapping his hands. She glares at him, "I may be old and able to get a visit from Death, but I am not deaf."

Kojirou bitterly grumbles, crossing his arms. Hiyoko huffs her chest, then turning to Ayame with a gentle smile. "Now, Ayame-san, please tell us. Why do you want to work at 'The Elderly's Place'?"

Seeing that Hiyoko had intentions of interviewing her, Ayame sighs in relief, then preparing a mandatory smile for the small woman.

"I really wanted to work at somewhere quiet and small, and working at a library really appealed to me, since I'm an avid reader."

"I see, I see..." Hiyoko smiles, seeming satisfied with her answer.

"'Small, ey?" Kojirou snorts, earning a guilty smile from Ayame, and a stern glare from his wife.

"Shut up, dear." Hiyoko demands, feeling just about fed up with her husband's continuous interruptions.

"I'm sorry, shall I rephrase it?" Ayame offers. Kojirou shakes his head with a small smile, waving her off with his hand.

"Now, continuing," Hiyoko starts, wiping her hands on her apron, "Can you brew coffee and tea?"

"Yes."

"Good, good..." Hiyoko says, nodding with a keen smile, "Are you good at organizing? For example, sorting out books."

"Yes. I'm a neat freak, so I often have the need to clean up things right after use." Ayame says, laughing meekly. Hiyoko laughs back, her hand to her lips.

_So far so good. _Ayame thinks, her nerves slowly melting away.

Hiyoko turns to her husband, "Well, dear. do you have any questions?"

"Hm..." Kojirou strokes his goatee, pursing his lips. Slowly, a happy grin erupts, showing off his small, yellowed teeth. Clasping his hands together, he turns to Ayame, "Can you play any instruments?"

"Ah, unfortunately, no." Ayame replies, wearing an apologetic smile. At her answer, Kojirou throws his hands in the air, shouting at the heavens.

"Why, oh why?" He growls, gritting his teeth.

"I'm sorry, was that a requirement?" Ayame says with an apologetic frown, placing her hand on the old man's shoulder.

"No, not at all. For me, at least." Hiyoko sighs, then turning to Kojirou, "Dear, we finally got somebody capable to come. Does it really matter if she can or can't play an instrument?"

Crossing his arms, Kojirou looks down to the ground. His eyes travel up to Ayame, who was smiling nervously. After a few seconds of consideration, he sighs.

"...Well, she knows her jazz."

With his vague yet confirming answer, Ayame and Hiyoko both sigh in relief.

"Thank you dear." Hiyoko chuckles, gently rubbing her husband's shoulder. She looks up at Ayame with a small smile, "Then, I guess that settles it, Ayame-san. You've got the job."

Ayame sighs in relief, falling back into the chair. A palm pressed against her chest, a small smile makes its way up.

"Thank god, I was worried for a second there." She says, earning a hearty chuckle from Hiyoko. "So, what days should I come?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to clash with your university so...Can you tell what days would be nice?"

"Oh, I've got my timetable right here. Let me just get it..." Ayame trails off as she scampers for the paper through her purse. After a few seconds of fiddling around, she finds it, and passes it to Hiyoko.

Hiyoko grabs her glasses from her apron pocket, then keenly reading the timetable. After a minute, she passes it back to Ayame with a small smile.

"It seems that you're more free at night, so we'll have you working as a waitress at the club on Wednesdays, Thursdays and...Saturday at 6pm till 10pm. And if it's okay with you, on Mondays you'll be working from 10am to 6pm." Hiyoko says. Ayame smiles thankfully. Compared to other jobs, she was being fairly lenient, being kind enough to work around her schedule. She was glad to have tried this place out.

_I'll have to remember to thank Ukyo-san later. _

"That's fine with me. Then, I'll start work tomorrow?" Ayame says with a smile. Hiyoko nods, "I'll give you your uniform then. Ah, during day hours, you don't need to wear a uniform. Just something comfortable, a name-tag and an apron that we'll provide, okay?"

Ayame smiles graciously as the woman exits the bar, going to the upstairs where the couple supposedly lived. After a few minutes, she returns, a plastic bag in hand. She passes it to Ayame with a gentle smile. Ayame graciously accepts, standing up from her chair.

She bows politely to Hiyoko, "Thank you very much for hiring me."

"I should be the one thanking you, dear. We wouldn't of known what to do if we didn't start hiring new people." Hiyoko chuckles softly, waving Ayame's thankful self.

Ayame straightens herself, giving a warm smile to the elderly couple. Suddenly, a curious thought crosses her mind.

"For the record, do I have any co-workers? Other than you two?" Ayame asks, tilting her head to the side. At her question, Hiyoko lets out a chuckle.

"Of course. There's one called Rina-chan. Who, by the way, is our grandchild."

"Oh, really? What type of person is she?" Ayame asks, keen to know more about her co-worker.

"Well..." Hiyoko says, her gaze wondering off, "This might be a little biased considering she's my lovely grandaughter, but she's a very gentle and kind young lady. Though at first she might seem a little rough around the edges, but deep inside she's a good girl."

Ayame wonders at her vague description, but nods anyway. Seeing as she had no business left, she bows her head, saying her goodbyes to the elderly couple.

"See you tomorrow, Ayame-san." Hiyoko says, waving her hand.

"Lookin' forward to working with you, miss." Kojirou grins, tipping his non-existent hat. Ayame chuckles at his gesture, then exiting her new workplace.

.

.

.

Ayame enters the Sunrise Residence, slipping off her shoes and replacing her flats with slippers. Humming happily, she presses the button for the fifth floor.

After a few seconds, the elevator doors open, revealing an unexpected presence. Ayame blinks a couple of times, before her surprise turns in simple, innocent joy.

"Subaru-kun, good afternoon. Going out for a run?" Ayame says cheerfully, giving the basketball player a big, friendly smile. Subaru blinks at her unexpected presence, before turning away with a red blush spreading across his cheeks. He steps out of the elevator, standing in front of Ayame, though not looking her way. Ayame stays put, finding it rude to just leave him hanging.

"Y-yeah. What about you?" Subaru says, unusually talkative for him. Happy to receive an actual sentence back, Ayame smiles widely, then replying in hopes of holding a conversation.

"I just went to a job interview for a cafe. And guess what? I got the position!" Ayame says, excited giggles escaping her lips. At the good news, Subaru momentarily allows her a small smile, earning a surprised stare from Ayame.

"...Really? Congratulations." He says without his usual stutter, a small smile meeting with his cheeks. Ayame stares at him for a few more seconds, her hand travelling up to cup her cheek.

"...My, you really _do _look good with a smile." She blurts out. Subaru blushes bright red, his lips that were once a smile now turned in an embarrassed frown. With his embarrassment clear as day, Ayame can't help but let out a laugh.

Hearing her laughter, he whips his head down to the floor to hide his flushed face. Though, somewhat in vain, as his reddened ears were still visible to all.

For once, why couldn't he be smooth around girls? Especially to the one he was attracted to.

His brows furrow in both frustration and embarrassment.

Spotting his sulk, Ayame gulps guiltily. Somewhat hesitantly, she speaks up.

"Well, uh, I wasn't kidding! You have a great smile, so you should smile more!" She says, trying to be encouraging.

Subaru nods, raising his head, though his gaze not meeting her. An awkward silence ensues, causing Ayame to sigh.

_Here it is, the awkward part. _

Hearing her sigh, Subaru freezes up, panicking.

_Have I screwed up again? What do I do? I should probably say something but the real question is what? The weather? No, that's too obvious that I'm trying to break the silence... _

Nervous thoughts raids Subaru's conscience, not giving him time to think. He bites his lip, starting to sweat. Incidentally, Ayame also bites her lip, though neither of noticed, both too desperate to find something to talk about. Another few seconds of awkwardness pass, and no longer able to take it, Ayame makes her move.

_"_Well, the weather's nice-"

"-Do you want to come?" Subaru accidentally interrupts, cutting Ayame off. Seeing what he had done, what he had said- he immediately turns bright red, his body tensing.

"Eh?" Ayame mumbles, staring at the young man with a curious glint to her eyes. He looks down, clenching his fists.

"N-nothing..." He mutters. Ayame stares at him observantly, then eventually coming to the conclusion that he was probably inviting her to jog with him. A small smile creeps up her lips.

_We're making progress._

She crosses her arms, tilting her head to the side with a friendly smile.

"If you're talking about jogging with you, then sure. I was thinking of taking a run soon, anyway. Only if you're up to it, of course." Ayame says.

At her answer, Subaru jerks his head up, wearing a nervous yet relieved expression.

"O-Of course!" He yells, then looking down, "...Of course."

At his answer, Ayame chuckles, then smiling warmly at the shy young man.

"Roger that. Then I'll meet you here in a few after I get dressed. I doubt I can run in these, after all." Ayame laughs, slightly lifting up the hem of her skirt. He blushes heavily at her suggestive action, looking down with a curt and hasty nod.

Satisfied with his answer, Ayame smiles and enters the opens the elevator once again. After a few seconds, the doors open up for her. She enters the elevator, and waves as the doors close.

Subaru breathes out heavily, his hands lacing with his black, cropped hair.

_Could I...call this a date?_

At the thought, his palms turn sweaty. With a completely reddened face, he timidly looks down to the floor, feeling strangely excited.

A/N:

Rare appearance of the author here, haha! Merry Christmas!


	13. Chapter 12: Big enough of a Hint

Around ten minutes pass after Ayame's leave, and Subaru was sitting down on a couch, waiting patiently for his bespectacled sister. A 'ping' of the elevator snaps him out of his daze. Subaru looks up, an expectant yet nervous gleam to his eyes.

As promised, the elevator doors open to reveal Ayame, sporting a simple pale blue single matched with black spandex shorts. Wearing a friendly smile, she exits the elevator, walking towards the basketball player. Subaru, although hesitant, hastily gets up.

Now arrived in front of him, Ayame stares into his eyes, making him gulp nervously. His gaze robotically scoots down to his old friend -the floor.

"Sorry to have made you wait. I came across a little dilemma." Ayame says, letting out a few polite chuckles. Subaru faintly blushes at her presence, feeling strangely relaxed by the sound of her voice.

"N-not at all." He mutters. Involuntarily, he finds himself taking a sneaky peak at her cleavage, though quickly averting his gaze up to her face. Sometimes, it was both a blessing and curse to be tall. However, to his surprise, he finds himself noticing that a certain important feature was missing -her glasses. The black-rim eye-helpers that she diligently wore everyday were nowhere in sight. Though, it wasn't that surprising, considering that the specs would probably just get in the way during their jog.

"Are you...okay without your glasses?" He says -surprisingly not muttering. Ayame smiles reassuringly, then pointing to her eyes.

"I've got contacts on. Glasses just get in the way." She explains.

"I see," Subaru mumbles, nodding, "You look...different, without glasses."

"I get that a lot." Ayame says, scratching the back of her neck, "Leaving that aside, let's go."

Subaru nods, and the two exit the residence. The sight and smell of apartment buildings and car gas greet their senses, to Ayame's distaste. Brushing it off quickly, she starts stretching.

"So, I guess I'll just follow you for the route?" Ayame says, bending her arms. Subaru nods, stretching also. Ayame smiles, soon finishing her stretch.

Subaru, also finishing, glances expectantly at Ayame.

"...Then, we'll start?" He says. A friendly smile on her face, Ayame nods.

* * *

"Ah, that was a good run!" Ayame gasps out, sitting on a park bench. Subaru nods in agreement, a small smile creeping up.

"You're...pretty fast." He pants, seemingly impressed. Seeing Ayame pat the bench, he takes a seat next to her.

"Never underestimate a former soccer club member is all I can say," Ayame says, then taking a drink from her water bottle.

Subaru turns to looks at her, a curious glint in his black pearl eyes.

"You...played soccer?" He utters, slightly surprised by the revelation. Though not meaning to be stereotypical, she more studios than athletic. Though, it wasn't just her glasses that gave him that impression. After a few weeks of observing her, he noticed a natural aura of diligence around her. Every movement she made was prompt and quick, and certainly didn't feel rushed.

'_...She would make a good worker,' _He often found himself thinking when he, eh-hem, was watching her.

Water chugging down her throat, Ayame merely nods. After a few seconds, she gasps satisfiedly, closing the bottle off with a lid.

"I suppose it is a little surprising due to my appearance, but I'm pretty athletic. Though, it's not like I'm a jack-of-all-trades. I suck artistic subjects." Ayame says, then remembering the time Yukina asked her to draw her. It ended up with Yukina looking genuinely offended with her incompetence, frustratedly trying to teach her the basics. Yukina just ended up looking pissed the whole evening, unable to understand why Ayame couldn't get it.

_Prodigies__ will never truly understand normal people, _Ayame thinks, a smirk creeping up. Though slightly intimidating, it was amusing to see Yukina so genuinely stupefied, seeing as it was a rare event. She usually just spent her day going, '_Aya-chan~, Aya-chan~!' _like she was some love-sick puppy, hugging onto her arm persistently as if it were a daily ritual...which thinking about it, kind of was.

"...Um," Subaru hesitantly mutters, snapping Ayame out of her daze. Ayame turns around to face him, giving him an obligatory smile.

"Oh, sorry I dozed off there. As you were saying?" Ayame says. Subaru fiddles with his fingers before continuing, sweat dropping down, perhaps because of the jog or out of something entirely different. Ayame, now reluctantly used to his awkward ways, waits patiently. A few more moments pass before Subaru finally speaks up, although muttering.

"There's...an ice cream stand over there." He mumbles, looking down to the grass.

"Mhm?" Ayame hums, patiently waiting for him to continue.

"This is just an idea but, do you...wanna get some before we head home?" He says, his ears flaring red. Ayame chuckles at his shyness.

"Even though we just ran? Those calories aren't light, you know." Ayame jokes, her lips forming in a playful smile. Subaru, taking it literally, looks down dejectedly.

"S-sorry."

"I was just kidding, Subaru-kun. Now, let's go get some ice cream." Ayame says, wearing a reassuring smile. She gets up and looks back to Subaru expectantly, "Okay?"

Taking her hint, Subaru gets up hastily, following Ayame to the stand.

"Hm...what should I get?" Ayame wonders, staring at the menu pasted on the stand intently. Noticing the specialty 'octopus ice-cream', her eyes shine with child-like wonder, as does Subaru's.

"Octopus and ice-cream? Really?" She says, her mouth gaping wide open. Subaru nods in agreement, wearing a small smirk.

"Yeah, that's kind of rare." Subaru comments, then letting out a snicker, "...Maybe even ridiculous."

Ayame laughs loudly at his comment, forgetting to hide it.

"...Well, sorry about that." The ice-cream lady grumbles, lazily flipping through a newspaper.

Realizing that she had been listening in on their conversation, Ayame gulps, averting her gaze to the ground, as does Subaru.

Pretending not to have heard her, she continues the conversation, "So, uh, have you decided on what flavor?"

"U-uh, yeah. Green tea. You?" Subaru says, avoiding the leer of the shopkeeper. Ayame nods hastily.

"Vanilla."

With their orders set, the two go up to the lair of the irritable employee.

"Um, one green tea ice cream and vanilla, thanks." Ayame says, putting on her best smile. The woman merely nods, then walking over to the ice cream machine. After a few seconds, she returns, passing Ayame the delicacies.

"500 yen." She mutters. Subaru pays the money, to Ayame's relief.

Two ice creams in hand, the two walk off.

"...So green tea's fine, but not octopus? Kids these days..." The woman grumbles, probably not intending to be heard. Catching her comment, Ayame's brow twitches.

_...Well, sorry about that. _Ayame thinks, an inevitable irritated scowl crawling up.

She peeks at Subaru, who was nonchalantly eating his ice cream, oblivious to the ice cream lady's comment. Ayame sighs.

_I guess I'll let it pass. _

Arriving in front of the park bench, the two sit down, devouring their treat. The two stay in silence, focusing on eating, with the occasional comment from Ayame and short reply or nod from Subaru. Finished with her snack, Ayame relaxes into the wooden bench.

"Despite her attitude, it was rather good." She comments, nodding to herself with satisfaction. Subaru nods in response, eating the ice cream. Ayame curiously watches him as he eats. Feeling her strong gaze, Subaru looks down to the pebblecrete ground, his eyes scattering about nervously.

"I-Is there something?" He mumbles, his cheeks quickly gaining a pinkish tint. Sensing his cute discomfort, Ayame smiles against her cupped cheek, feeling a little amused by his quick to be nervous demeanor. Her smile still present, she replies casually.

"Just wondering if your ice cream's better than mine. You seem rather happy eating it, after all." Ayame says, noting his small, content smile he was wearing when devouring the treat.

At her comment, Subaru's already reddened cheeks shine even brighter, his mouth slightly parted in a clumsy attempt to retort to her interpretation.

Finding his reaction adorable, Ayame laughs heartily, then stopping after hearing his dissatisfied grumbles.

"Sorry, sorry." Ayame says, flapping her hand. The sight of the green tea ice cream enters her peripheral vision, making her focus go from Subaru to the sweet treat. She gulps, her stomach yearning for it. Apparently, her ice cream alone wasn't enough to satisfy her inner Godzilla.

"...Hey, can I have a bite?" She asks, though not hopeful.

"...Eh? Eh!?" Subaru gasps, his eyes bulged in bewilderment and mouth, parted widely.

Subaru turns the deepest shade Ayame had ever witnessed, earning an amused chuckle from the girl.

"Pretty please?" Ayame says, watching him with a mischievous smile. Subaru had always never failed to awaken her inner sadist.

"But- but...if we did that..." Subaru stutters heavily, struggling to get out the words as if he were speaking a foreign language.

"'If we did 'that', what?" Ayame says with a small smile, cocking her head slightly to the side. Subaru hesitates before answering, his words only coming out in breathless sounds. Noticing her strong yet amused watch, he takes a big gulp, and staggers out the words.

"...It'd, it'd be an indirect kiss..." He whispers, his gaze stubbornly fixed on the ground. Hearing no response of laughter or even a soft chuckle from the girl, he slowly raises his head, curiosity controlling his actions. Upon seeing her blank yet completely stupefied expression, Subaru instantly returns his watch to the ground, regretting his actions from telling her to raising his head.

"...Subaru." Ayame says, staring at him with incredulous, bulged eyes, "Stop it. We're in college."

Subaru groans softly, digging his hands in his hair. Why, oh, why?

Ayame crosses her long legs, staring at the distressed and embarrassed boy with a pitying yet entertained gaze.

"You know, I bet you've never even kissed a girl, let alone dated one." She says, earning a flinch from Subaru. He quickly defends himself, his pride as a man hurt.

"Basketball's all I need to focus on. I don't need a girl to distract me." He retorts, staring into her almond eyes. Ayame stares back into his determined eyes, observing his thoughts. With a sigh, she relaxes into the bench, resigning for the day.

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't understand where you're coming from. I don't date either, to concentrate on college. Love can come after." Ayame says, adding in a light sigh.

She'd receive confessions, but would never let it go any further than that. A rare few would persist, but in the end, they would retire with broken, tired-out hearts. She would frown, feel a little disappointed, but then remember the next assignment was due in a few weeks, then scatter off to throw herself in work. With the way her life has always been, perhaps it wouldn't change, even after graduating from university. Perhaps she would die alone, in a large mansion, filled with nothing but material goods and no warm presence. Remembering a certain woman, Ayame bites her lip, her eyes unintentionally narrowing.

_Ironically, I'm guess I'm just like her. _

Not noticing her glower, Subaru suddenly mumbles, interrupting her inner monologue.

"...I've kissed a girl before."

Hearing his quiet protest, Ayame raises a brow, feeling doubtful of his sudden claim.

"Oh? Really? Who, then?" Ayame says, grinning slyly, staring at him with an amused gleam.

Subaru hesitates before replying, his complexion gradually turning redder and redder, resembling a growing tomato. He takes a deep breath, then turns around to face Ayame. Ayame shuffles back instinctually, feeling slighty apphrehensive about his strong gaze. She gulps, her instincts speaking to her.

_...I have a feeling that-_

"...You. Remember?"

_...Knew it._

For once, the tables turn, with Ayame introduced to Subaru's old bestie -the ground- and Subaru, staring at her with a shy yet resolved gaze.

"Oh," Ayame mumbles, then continuing upon feeling his expectant stare, "Oh yeah, that did happen."

Subaru nods, slightly hesitantly. Their frenemy, awkward silence, knocks on the door and strolls in, then making itself completely at home, eating the last pizza slice while casually watching T.V. Ayame sighs, irritated that it had become a commonplace in every conversation they had. Sick of it, she reluctantly carries on.

"Though technically it was an accident, so we can't really count it," Ayame says, adding in a small, awkward chuckle. She turns to face Subaru with a smile, "Other than me, have you-"

"-That...wasn't an accident." He says, his cheeks warming up as he says the words.

Hearing his words, Ayame instantly loses her smile, frozen in her spot. Staring at him with bulged eyes, his words sink in.

_"That...wasn't an accident."_

His words were implying he had, 'kissed', her on purpose. But for what purpose? Only one idea arises in her mind.

The shy, 'little' basketball player had a cute crush on the biology student of a prestigious university.

Her face loses colour.

No. This was not happening.

What had she done? What had she done to make him like her? All she knew was that she greeted him cheerfully every morning, but that was about it. Sure, she'd seen his beautiful abs, but so did Ema! What differentiated her from her feminine little sister? Were his blushes not of shyness, but of actual, natural human reaction of seeing your crush?

Denying reality, she forces laughter, trying to brush his confession off as a joke.

"...Haha, that's rare for you to joke. What's up, Subaru-"

"-I wasn't joking." Subaru says, cutting her off. A gulp slowly travels down her throat.

"And I'm sorry about that. I- I shouldn't of have done that. I, just wanted to come clean before anything." Subaru says, looking down to the ground. Ayame joins in also, becoming quite well-aquainted with Mr. Floor there.

"...It's been bothering me for a while, even though we talked about it, and sometimes...it affects my performance in basketball. That's why, I had to tell you. Sorry if I made you feel awkward or uncomfortable by saying so."

"...Don't worry, you're a frequent offender." Ayame sighs, smiling bitterly. Seeing that she at least had the heart in her to joke, Subaru smiles appreciatively.

"Sorry."

"Apology accepted." Ayame says, no trace of bitterness left in her smile.

"So, can I assume that the reason why you did so as...?" Ayame says, purposely trailing off. A dark, honest blush spreads across Subaru's cheeks. With a shy smile, he nods slowly.

"...Yes, but if you can, please turn the other cheek."

Ayame sighs heavily, sinking into the park bench.

"Anything for a sibling, I guess."

At the word 'sibling', Subaru frowns slightly, but quickly replaces it with a genuinely, grateful smile.

"...Thanks, Ayame." He says, meeting her eyes with his.

Surprised, Ayame blinks a few times before a small, faint blush briefly treads across her cheeks.

_...He really does have a nice smile._

* * *

Ayame and Subaru enter the complex elevator, with complicated feelings filling their hearts.

"So, what floor do you want?" Ayame asks, her finger brushing across the control panel.

"Oh, the fifth. Thanks," Subaru replies, shortly adding in a small smile.

Seeing him flash a smile, Ayame flinches. For some reason, after he had confessed of his wrong doings, he got more friendly and honest with her. If she cracked a joke, he wouldn't just nod. No, he would greet her with a big, hearty laugh and even add in some banter, which she would reluctantly return.

It was, frankly, eerie, especially after noticing his feelings towards her. Usually, in these type of situations, she would just brush off the guy coolly, but in this case, it was difficult. He was apart of her new family, and who was she to be cold just because he had a small, little crush that would probably just die away in a few months, or even a few weeks?

Due to the complexity of the situation, Ayame could do nothing but tell herself it was just a short phase that would eventually fade away with time.

Truth be told, she preferred the awkward, shy Subaru over the casual one who would stare at her deeply with a faint blush whenever there was a gap in conversation. It made her nervous, having him suddenly open up like a butterfly from a chrysalis.

"Roger. I'm going to the fourth floor, by the way. I need to change, cause I stink." Ayame says with a laugh, fanning herself with her hand.

"...You smell fine, like citrus." He whispers, a faint blush spreading.

Pretending not to hear, Ayame pushes the buttons with haste, feeling Subaru's gaze rest on her.

_...That was so corny. _Ayame groans mentally, blushing heavily at his cheesy statement.

Answering her call, the elevator moves up. The two stay silent, with the only noise made being the elevator going upwards. Suddenly, it stops at the second floor. Ayame cocks her head to the side, her ponytail swaying with her.

_I'm pretty sure I didn't press the button to the second floor... _

Her doubts are put to rest upon the opening doors revealing a certain male, whose presence made her sigh in relief.

"Ah, Iori-kun. Good afternoon." Ayame greets, an inevitable wide smile giving way. Iori enters the elevator, pleasantly surprised with her presence.

"Hello, Ayame nee-san," Iori says softly, smiling tenderly. Upon spotting Subaru, his smile slightly wavers, "...Subaru nii-san, too."

Subaru nods in response, gulping down water. Spotting the two's sport gear, Iori completely drops his smile.

"...Were you two, out together?" Iori asks quietly.

"Yeah...Just, jogging." Subaru replies, then a faint blush paired with a small, shy smile appears after thinking about today's events. Ayame awkwardly shuffles around, feeling uncomfortable with his manner.

Noticing his expression, Iori's narrowing eyes rest on Subaru, observing him. After a few seconds, he stops staring, with Subaru slowly snapping out of his daze.

"...I see," Iori says, then standing in between the two, making Subaru forcefully having to shuffle sidewards. He turns his head to face Ayame exclusively, curling a warm smile.

"So, did you do anything, other than that?" Iori says, staring into her eyes.

"Well..." Ayame grins triumphantly, huffing her chest up, "I went to a job interview this morning, and I got the job."

Iori blinks a couple of times, before a small, proud grin worms its way up.

"Congratulations, as expected of Nee-san." Iori chuckles, applauding her softly, "Where is it at? Is it near?"

Ayame nods her head, staring into his alluring, hazel eyes.

"Yep. It's a cafe, library, jazz club at night. It's pretty, varied, to say the least. It's called, 'The Elderly's Place'."

"Huh? Isn't that..." Iori mutters, his brows narrowing upon the mention. Ayame tilts her head to the side, wearing a small smile.

"Oh, do you know it?"

"I think so. Is it the one where you have to go through the alleyway near Akamichi Shopping District?" Iori asks, tilting his head to the side.

Ayame smiles, "Yep."

At her carefree answer, Iori's lips form a small frown.

"Don't you think that's a little dangerous? Maybe you should reconsider, there are some reports of molesters near that area, after all..."

Previously unaware of the news, Ayame gulps nervously. Though, she couldn't back off now. She needed to have a stable income, and she wasn't going to let this chance pass just because of a few perverts laying their hands on girls.

"No need. There's another path I can take, so it'll be fine." Ayame says, trying to reassure him with a confident smile, but to no avail. Iori shakes his head, rarely looking quite determined.

"That one's not too far from a bar. Are you working night hours?"

"You're...quite familiar with the area, aren't you?"

"There's a good stationary shop nearby which I frequent, so I know the area pretty well." Iori says, giving her a short-lived smile, "But that's besides the point. Nee-san, if you work night hours, you could ask them to change your shift."

"I agree with Iori for this one. It's dangerous," Subaru says, suddenly joining in the conversation.

"Even you?" Ayame whines, then sighing deeply, "Like I said, it's fine. I'm careful, I will be a-okay."

"But-"

Irritated, Ayame grabs Iori's cheeks, squeezing them tightly. Iori stares at her in daze, though quickly resigning, used to her cheek attacks.

"No. _Buts._" Ayame demands, then slapping his cheeks lightly.

"...Okay." He sighs, rubbing his sore cheek.

Watching his silent sulk, Ayame involuntarily gulps, staring him with a faint blush.

_...He's cute. _

Embarrassed by her inevitable thought, she lightly slaps herself on the forehead, grumbling under her breath. However, sensing somebody watch her, she raises her head.

"Are you still up for a protest? Well then, prepare to receive the wrath of my cheek-squeezers." Ayame says, flapping her hands towards Subaru. At her assumption, Subaru flinches, then meekly shaking his head.

"N-not really."

"'Thought so." Ayame huffs, then letting out a soft chuckle. Hearing her laugh, Subaru blushes, then lowering his gaze down to his sneakers. After that, the trio fall in a small silence, waiting for the elevator to reach their destination.

"...But, it looks like you'll be busy," Iori suddenly mutters, destroying the silence, looking down to the floor. Ayame tilts her head to the side curiously, staring at the handsome boy. After a few short seconds, he raises his head, facing Ayame with a small, sad smile. "...It'll be lonely."

At his sudden comment, Ayame blushes heavily, feeling her heart tighten at his warm yet lonely gaze.

"A-ah, is that so..." She mutters, averting her eyes to the ground. Upon seeing her flustered reaction, a small smile creeps up Iori's lips. Remembering a certain promise that he made a few days ago, Iori speaks up.

"Ah, also, Nee-san. About that book you wanted to borrow..."

At the mention of 'book', Ayame raises her head.

"Oh, 'Scandals in Venice'?"

Hearing the familiar name, Subaru perks in.

"Huh? Isn't that Hika-nii's-"

"-I've finished reading it, so I can lend it to you now." Iori says, cutting Subaru off, unclear whether on purpose or accidental.

_...Why do I feel strangely cut off from this conversation? _

Oblivious to Subaru's sour expression, Ayame excitedly chirps up.

"What, really?"

"Really." Iori says, nodding.

"I see. Thanks, Iori-kun." Ayame says, messing up his soft, feathery hair. Feeling her warm touch, he smiles under his fringe. The 'ping' of the elevator interrupts her, as she turns to look at the opening door. Seeing as she had arrived at her destination, she says her goodbyes with a smile.

"I'll be going now, see you!"

The two nod in acknowledgement as she exits the elevator with a wave of her hand.

With nothing particular to talk about, silence hangs in the air, though not an uncomfortable one, as the two were used to their individually silent ways. After a few seconds or so, the elevator lands on the fifth floor. The doors open as routine.

Just as Subaru springs off the elevator wall, Iori turns around to face his older brother, revealing an empty expression.

Slighty creeped out by Iori's vacant eyes, Subaru shuffles backwards, raising a brow at his younger brother.

"...What?" Subaru mutters, staring at Iori.

"...Subaru nii-san, it's a shame, really." Iori whispers cryptically, wearing an eerie smile.

"Huh? What do you...?"

"Nothing, nii-san. Now, let's go."

Iori departs the scene, leaving behind only a cryptic message and an enigmatic smile, to the puzzlement of his older brother.

Subaru scratches his head, staring the distant back of his younger brother.

"...What was that all about?"

A/N:

Octopus ice-cream? That shit real, yo.

And yes, yes, I know this was late. My excuses include: In Australia, it is summer, and Australian summer's are always humid, and combined with the fact my room gets hot very easily, it makes it very hard to concentrate with the room turning into a sauna. Other excuse, procastination.

Te-he!

I'll try to get back to schedule, but don't fear, I have _absolutely _no plans on dropping this!


	14. Chapter 13: Unexpected Anxiety

A rich jazz tune resounding in the dimly lit room, a bead of nervous sweat travels down Ayame's neck, who was wiping an already pristine wine glass with one of Hiyoko's personally embroidered tea towels. The consistent tapping of a man's leather shoe baring mercilessly into Ayame's sensitive ears, she gives a resigned sigh and glances at the currently _very_ livid old man beside her. His foot tapped rapidly on the oak wooden floor, and his arms were tightly intertwined as he bore a hole into the invisible air, as if there was his arch nemesis sitting casually on the chair across, taunting him.

To think that a hunched old man of 153 centimeters could be so intimidating, she never knew until now.

Noticing some of the customers' unnerved glances towards to the old man(to which they'd receive a mighty ol' glare back, effectively shutting them up), Ayame sighs, placing the wine glass down on the counter. Taking a wary glance back to the Kojirou, who was now tapping his shoddy nails against his thigh, Ayame inhales then hesitantly placing a comforting hand on the man's tensed shoulders. Growling, Kojirou tosses his head back, glaring at his employee.

"What?" He snarls, not holding back his anger against the girl.

"...Kojirou-san, I'm sure Rina-san will come soon, so please relax. You'll scare the customers-"

He interrupts her with a sarcastic laugh, tossing his head back.

"Ha! Scare, you say? They've known me before you were born, Missy." he says, before whipping his head to her, "So zip your lips, cause you don't know nothing!" Kojirou snaps, shrugging off Ayame's gentle grasp.

Ayame sighs weakly, rubbing her rejected hand before going back to work.

If there was something she learned from the past few days of working with the man, it was that he had absolutely no patience concerning his granddaughter. Speaking of Rina, Ayame had yet to meet her, since she had apparently refused to come to work the past few days, thus Kojirou's short temper. Hopefully she would meet her today- otherwise she might end up working alone for the night.

From what she had heard from the elderly couple, Rina was either a good woman with the heart of gold, or a slacker with a bitchy attitude who knows nothing of the real world- according to Kojirou, to which he received a wet tea towel to the head from his dear wife. On the subject of Hiyoko, Ayame had quite quickly learnt that Hiyoko didn't work during night hours, promptly due to her bad back and generally poor stamina. Thus, the only ones working through the night of the jazz club were Kojirou, herself, and Rina- who had no signs of gracing the bar with her presence, to Kojirou's grand irritation and Ayame's mild displeasure.

The two continue doing their respective actions- Ayame doing her job, Kojirou spreading negativity into the room- until the store's door bell chimes, gaining their attention.

"Welcome to the Elderly's Place." Ayame says automatically before raising her head to the door. Her brows raise curiously upon the appearance of the customer, who didn't quite fit with the usual customers of old biddies and typical jazz fans.

Rather than jazz enthusiast, the girl more or less looked like a heavy metal fan- from her nose ring among many other piercings and tattooed arms. Her bored, apathetic expression also didn't suggest otherwise. She simply looked like she was forced here, and would much prefer to be at an Iron Maiden concert.

However, Ayame's curious observations are abruptly cut short- as Kojirou curtly stands up from his adored rocking chair, and stomps over to the unconcerned woman as fast as an old man could.

Wearing a livid scowl, Kojirou points his wooden cane up to the girl's pierced nose, much to Ayame's flighty panic. However, just as she attempts to sprint over to the livid old man and the indifferent young woman, the next few words take her off guard.

"Rina, you rascal! You've got the bloody nerve to come crawling back after slacking your lazy ass off for the past three days!" Kojirou shouts, digging his cane deeper into the girl's flat nose- which, on closer inspection, was exactly the same as Hiyoko's.

_...Oh._ Ayame halts, no longer hurrying to stop the old man. So this was their granddaughter? A little unexpected, to be honest. Though it was satisfying to finally meet the the girl, or at least see.

Her newly known co-worker sighs heavily -almost annoyed-, and clutches the cane, slowly bringing it down and out of her face, much to the protests and complaints of Kojirou.

"I was busy." Rina merely mutters(with a surprisingly soft voice), as if that had all the answers in the world. However, of course, her lacking answer fails to appease Kojirou who had been left hanging without contact for the past three days.

"Busy my ass, Rina! You're as free as a homeless- you don't do anything in your life! All you do is smoke those crappy cigarettes and waste away in life." Kojirou yaps, criticizing her a bit too much to Ayame's liking. A frown shadows Ayame's face. She never liked it when parents, or even grandparents were critical towards children.

However, to Ayame confusion, Rina merely pats his bald head lazily before walking away towards the stage, guitar case in hand.

Kojirou growls, dissatisfied, though quickly following suit anyway.

As Rina slowly approaches the stage, she locks eyes with Ayame, a wary glint in her deep black eyes. She curtly stops in front of the younger woman, giving her a wary once-over.

"...Who?" Rina mutters, raising a pierced brow. Kojirou sighs, walking up to his grandchild's side.

"Your new co-worker. You know, remember how I said we needed new people because of your grandmother's back? This is what we got. She's lovely and good at her job, so be nice."

Rina frowns slightly, but Ayame pays it no mind, politely bowing to her only other co-worker.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ayame Hinata. I'll be working here on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. I'll be looking forward to working with you," Ayame pauses shortly before raising her body, stripping away from her bow, "Should I call you by your last name?"

Rina stares at her in silence, before a small, almost invisible, smirk makes its way up.

"Rina. Honorifics, with or without, I don't care."

Ayame smiles gratefully, bowing her head again.

Overseeing the relatively peaceful meeting between the two, Kojirou lets out a soft sigh, a small grin worming up.

_Stage four: Not being hated by Rina, cleared._

Wearing a somewhat content and relaxed expression, Rina heaves her guitar, walking towards the stage.

However, to her annoyance, has Kojirou stop her, clasping her tattooed shoulder with his wrinkly, weak hand.

Sighing, she looks over her shoulder.

"You're not performing in that drab. Get changed into the dress," Kojirou says, openly glancing at her ripped jeans and loose, revealing skull singlet. Rina merely rolls her eyes, slapping Kojirou's fragile hand off her shoulder. Kojirou scowls at his granddaughter, glaring at her with displeased eyes.

"If you weren't my grandchild, I would've fired you long ago."

"Then don't hold back. Nepotism is highly frowned upon, you old fart." Rina retorts, waving weakly as she departs to the upstairs, presumably to change.

Kojirou mutters a few profanities under his breath, though reluctantly returning to work. Ayame does the same, catering to the bar.

Fifteen odd or so minutes pass and a pretty girl descends from the stairs, her classical, long red jazz gown trailing behind her. Ayame blinks a few times, before coming to the realization that the beautiful, charming woman was Rina.

She looked completely different, her nose, brow and lip rings taken out, only wearing simple pearl earrings. Her lips were smothered with burgundy red (unlike her previously venom purple) her slick, short black hair somehow sparkling under the dimly-lighted chandelier. Young customers(if you could call people in their thirties 'young') stare at the transformed girl with lingering gazes, while the veterans giving brief, masterful glances at her, shortly returning to their glass of red wine, a discreet, elated glint in their clouded eyes.

Ayame could now understand why Kojirou wanted her changed, obvious reasons aside.

She trots up to the stage, obviously uncomfortable in the black heels, evident by her scrunched nose, but somehow looks experienced and masterful as she glides up the stairs. Testing the microphone, she talks to the audience, blankly trying to get their attention.

The audience happily oblige, glad that the only music playing wasn't from mere speakers.

Rina sighs quietly, before working up a somewhat forced, small smile. Ayame frowns, and glances over to Kojirou, who was watching with a stern, focused gaze, crossing his arms with interest. Ayame's brows knit together, before she lets out a sigh and returns her watch to Rina.

The audience watch in interest as the background music starts playing, Rina waiting for the moment to sing. Shortly after, it comes, and Rina inhales deeply before singing. On the first note, Ayame instantly jerks her head up, her widened eyes strongly fixated in the girl on the stage. Her mouth falls agape at the soft, sweet melody echoing from the petite woman, the customers similarly so.

She searched hard for a suitable word.

Melodic? Euphoric? Ethereal?

All of those combined?

Complimentary words aside, Rina had a gifted voice. It was soft like a murmur, but charmingly so. Her pitch was high, and never broke a note. Her voice was steady; yet so delicate.

Ayame concluded that if Siren's truly did exist; they would sound like Rina, having the charm to allure people's conscience away.

"...If you weren't so bloody talented, I would've fired you long ago."

Ayame glances over to the grumbling man, who was chewing his lip insistently. She hides a smile. Behind that frown of his he wore a big, proud grin.

Perhaps they didn't get along as bad as she thought.

* * *

Albums and DVD's fill the racks as people between their teens and thirties space among their individual aisles, looking through rental movies and music CD's. Propping a classical CD in her shopping basket, Ayame looks over her shoulder, watching Ema look between albums with a tentative gaze, Juli squeaking by her side. A small smile makes way to Ayame's lips as she goes over to her little sister, peeking over her head.

"Are you still deciding?" Ayame says, staring at the multiple love songs in Ema's hand. Ema nods, before shortly letting out a sigh as she returns the CD's to its rack.

Ema sighs heavily, a hint of exhaustion to her exhale of breath, before looking back to her sister with lazy eyes, "What about you?"

Ayame gives a small grin as she grabs out a few CD's from her shopping basket, "Mostly. I only need to pick out the song for the first dance. Other than that, I'm all set."

Ema moans, before letting out a soft sigh. "It must be nice to be punctual..." She mumbles, wearing a small pout. Ayame lets out a laugh before she pats Ema on the back, comforting her perfectionist sister. Ema merely sighs, before trotting off into another direction, her gaze leering off into the seventies music aisle. However, she stops in her tracks, her eyes squinting tightly. Ayame tilts her head, wondering why she had stopped.

A few moments pass before Ema speaks up, her gaze strong in front of her.

"Aya-nee,"

Ayame gives a hum of acknowledgment as she picks out a disk.

"Fuuto-kun's here."

Ayame raises her head from the Jazz CD, her eyes widening slightly. Spotting a boy conspicuously hiding his face behind shades and a hat, (or in his words, 'a celebrity's necessity), she lets out a long, tired sigh. Out of all people, she just had to run into him. Snobby little drama boy. Nice.

But then again, at least it wasn't Yukina. She shudders at the thought of _that_ meeting Ema.

"I see. Wonder what's an idol like him doing here," Ayame says apathetically, only replying to not leave her hanging. The bespectacled girl quickly returns her gaze to her CD, skimming through the contents.

"...Maybe I should call out to him?"

"Hm?" Ayame murmurs, before quickly whipping her head up, "Ah- Ema, no-"

"Fuuto-kun!" Ema yells out, waving at the boy.

Ayame sighs. Too late. She briefly glances over to a few high school girls nearby, who turned their heads in response to her call. She knew all too well how girls would respond to the name Fuuto, memories of her college popping up. A sigh escapes her lips before she turns to watch Ema with an eagle eye.

Ema paces over to him with a small, delighted smile, Juli squeaking in protest as he desperately clutches onto her school cardigan. Ayame watches as Fuuto's expression falls from initial surprise to horror, as he hurriedly clasps his hands over her mouth, taking inconspicuous glances towards the nearby high school girls. Seeing that they didn't seem to notice yet(though one was persistently taking brief glances, but quickly returning to her album after receiving a glare from the awfully familiar boy), Fuuto lets out a long, puffed out sigh.

However, his previous nerves quickly turning into irritation, he sends her a sharp glare.

"What are you thinking, idiot? I could have got caught!" He whispers sharply, still not letting go of her mouth.

Ema muffles her confusion, looking at him with submissive, lowered eyes.

"He means, 'admirers'." Ayame says while sighing, reluctantly coming up to them after seeing the commotion they caused. Raising his glare, Fuuto takes notice of her presence, and sighs.

"Oh, you're here too? Great, just great." Fuuto huffs, his hand sliding off Ema as he crosses them against his chest, glaring sideways.

Ayame merely rolls her eyes, before trailing down to the multitude of DVD's in a shopping basket situated on the ground.

"And, I suppose you're here to rent some movies?"

To her surprise, he flinches at her words, before awkwardly shuffling around with his arms. She quirks a brow, watching the usually overconfident boy fidget in her presence. However, to her disappointment, he quickly sheds off his hesitant demeanor, and he huffs with pride, whipping his head up with a smug grin.

"For film analysis. Not like you commoners, who just blindly watch movies with little to no thought."

"Yes, yes. We're sorry being the average John Doe who just like to have fun when watching movies," Ayame says, running her hand through her hair with a soft sigh, "And we're not here for fun and games. We're picking out the songs for your mother's wedding, including your songs with the twins,"

At the news, he quirks a trimmed brow. "Huh. So? Have you picked out my song yet?"

Ayame shakes her head, before nudging Ema lightly with her elbow, "That's Ema's job. I'm picking out the songs for the ceremony, dances, et cetera."

He lets out a sigh before turning to Ema, wearing an irritated frown. She shrinks at his glare, Juli hissing by her side.

"And? Have you picked it yet? Oh, and," He briefly jerks his head to the anime song aisle, "If you dare pick an anime song, I _will_ kill you. I'd rather die than see that self-satisfied grin on that lowbrow voice 'actor's' face."

"Not punish? Things just got real," Ayame snidely comments, holding back a smug snort. He masterfully ignores her comment, though while wearing a scowl. His glare strongly fixed on Ema, she hugs her bag tightly before giving a short, hesitant nod.

He smirks, leaning closer to her cheek, "Thank you, nee-san."

Just as his lips breathe against her supple skin, something cold and hard smacks his head out of the way. Ema flinches at the sudden movement, feeling herself curl into a ball, and Juli yelps,(squeaks? Can squirrels actually yelp?)desperately clinging onto Ema.

Groaning, Fuuto kneels down to the ground, clutching his throbbing head. Whipping his head up, he glares at the cause.

"Ouch, what the heck, you stupid woman?" Fuuto snaps, biting his lip as he growls at Ayame.

With a nasty leer directed at the younger male, she lets down the metal basket full of CD's. "I thought I told you to leave her, Fuuto."

"Well, I didn't, did I? And what's wrong with a small display of affection for my cute older sister? Siscon's, I swear..." He mutters as he rises from the ground, brushing off his jeans with a glower. Her brows puckered, Ayame frowns, before reaching out to violate his cheeks. He instantly protests, trying to pry off her strong grip in vain.

"You've got guts. I'll give you that," She says, stretching his cheeks without restraint, "But learn to respect your elders, whether siscon or not- Tsubaki included."

"Argh, I _don't _care! Just let go, pervert!" Fuuto protests, his hands clawing at hers. She tightens her squeezes, much to his dismay.

"Maybe if you actually be polite for once, yes. But now? Not so much,"

"Fine then!" He huffs, before reluctantly grumbling his pleads, "..._Please. _Nee-san, let me go."

She smirks, earning a growl from the boy. "Well if you insist..."

She slowly, and tauntingly so, releases her grip, removing it by finger by finger. Irritated, he slaps her lessened grip away, puffing his chest. He snaps his head to the side, growling, much to her amusement. She lets out a few chuckles.

"What if I bruise, dammit..." He grumbles, rubbing his sore cheek. Her laughter died away, Ayame merely rolls her eyes. Clicking his tongue, he mutters under his breath, "...and just when I get a movie offer."

Hearing his comment, she can't help but blink. His words sinking in, she smiles softly. Though not blood-related, she feels a little proud that her brother was going to be in a movie, irritating as he is. Maybe she'll go see it once released. But then again, who with? The whole family? No, much too crowded.

...Yukina?

She snorts. Screw that. With Yukina's keen gut instinct, she'd be badgering her the whole time why she wanted to go see a movie, of all things. Ayame gulps. Out of the question.

She'll just go see it with Ema or Ior-

"Eh? Fuuto-kun, you're going to be in a movie?" Ema asks, a tad bit too loudly, much to Fuuto's horror. Ayame blinks out of her thoughts, and turns to face Fuuto. His facial expression paling, he hastily scrambles his hand to cover her mouth, much in vain, as the girls already notice his presence, squealing excitedly to each other, one fanning her face as she breathes in and out.

"...See! I told you so, he's totes Fuuto Asakura-kun! They even said something about movies,"

"Woah, woah, _woah_. Okay, Sayaka- Sayaka. Gotta stay calm. Should I ask for an autograph? No- he'll think I'm just like everybody else!...Plus, he's got company..."

"By the way, who are _they?_ His sisters? Is one a girlfriend?"

"No, I read in an article that he only had brothers, so they can't be his sisters!"

Ayame and Fuuto sigh in unison, being on the same wavelength for once. Fuuto, given up, slowly returns his hand to his side. Sighing heavily, he glares at Ema, with Juli glaring back, hissing with threat.

"...Sheesh. Now I can't take my time because of you." He sighs before putting on an obviously fake smile, "_Thanks _for that, nee-san."

Ema gulps, before looking down in guilt, timidly fiddling with her fingers.

"I-I'm sorry, Fuuto-kun." Ema mutters awkwardly, finding it difficult to meet with his piercing brown eyes. Ayame sighs softly, before coming to her side, slowly caressing her soft, brown hair. She says comforting words, ignoring Fuuto's obvious distaste with her action. Grunting, he grabs out all of his CD's from his basket, before twirling back to meet Ema. The two girls blink, as Ayame's comforting hand drops to her side.

"Whatever. Just take responsibility, and rent all of these. I'll be waiting at home," He says, abruptly shoving his DVD's in her shopping basket before pulling down his hoodie as he darts off with an irritated grunt.

Ema and Ayame watch in awe as the boy struts off, before Ema breaks the silence with a soft sigh.

"What should I do...? I've still got to pick the songs, but I don't want to make him wait..." Ema mumbles, hanging her head like a lost child. Ayame firmly pats her back, her eyes trailing Fuuto's departing back.

"I've only got one more song, so after that, I'll rent Fuuto's films and go on ahead without you. Can you text him to wait for me in front my room?"

Ema nods, receiving praise and a pat on the head, much to her embarrassment. Ayame merely laughs, before returning to the music aisles, Ema trailing behind her. Ema, looking through the pop genre, notices a familiar idol group out of her peripheral vision. Her face brightens as she hastily picks the album out.

"Aya-nee, I've got a good idea!" Ema giggles excitedly as she paces up to Ayame. Ayame puts on a friendly smile, averting her attention from the love songs to Ema. Ema bobs her head enthusiastically as she presents the album.

_Fortissimo_

_Your Heart_

Ayame lowers her brows as she cautiously eyes the CD. Fuuto's idol group.

"...Uh, I don't think Tsubaki would be particularly happy with that."

"Aw...I thought it was a good idea." Ema sulks, dropping her arms to her side with a small pout.

Ayame smiles bitterly, trying to find an appropriate way to comfort her, "Well, we'll figure things out?"

Ema nods and returns the disk to it's respective aisle with a small sigh.

* * *

Curving around the hallway, Ayame spots Fuuto in the distance, leaning against her door. Noticing his scowl, she sighs before pacing faster to the impatient boy.

Shortly, he takes notice of her presence, bouncing off the wall to directly face her.

"You're _late_. What took you so long? It's only renting out some DVD's," Fuuto says, glaring at her with a snarl.

"What are you, my girlfriend?" Ayame sighs, before smacking the DVD in his hand. "Here. Remember to pay me back later."

He ignores her comment as he skims over the blurb, checking if she got the correct one. He smirks, to which she rolls her eyes.

"It seems that you can be a _bit _useful, emphasis on a _bit_," Fuuto says, wearing a smug smirk, the one that Ayame wanted to tear off so desperately. She feels her eye twitch. He twirls back to face her door, and for some strange reason, turns the handle, opening the entrance to her bedroom. "Now, intruding." he blurts out, before attempting to take the first step into her room. However, a strong grip on his wrist preventing him, he glares at the cautious Ayame.

"What?"

"I _really_ should be asking you that. Why are trying to go in my room?"

"To watch the movie. _Duh._"

Ayame inclines her head, raising a brow, "And your reason being unable to that in your own room is...?"

Fuuto sighs heavily, crossing his arms. "Because my T.V's broken, idiot. And I can't watch in the living because Wataru's watching his goddamn baby show. Understand now? Just feel honored that an idol is gracing you with his presence. You can watch too, if you want. How nice of me."

"...Uh-huh," Ayame murmurs, slowly nodding her head. "Sorry, but you're watching your films elsewhere. I need to study, and college students can't afford to have distractions."

"And neither can idols. But there's one big difference: idols do what they want. Going in," Fuuto haughtily retorts, before waltzing into Ayame's room without a care to the girl's blatant protests.

Smacking her head with a groan, she reluctantly follows after him, quietly shutting the door. He lands on her fluffy bed, observing.

"Awfully plain room. Pillow smells nice, though." He comments, sniffing her pillow squeezed in his arms. Her face scrunches in distaste as she throws her purse at the wall, which he dutifully dodges.

"Shush it."

"Feisty." He says, smirking.

She shakes off the urge to retort, and resigns to sighing.

Watching the boy rise to set up the movie, Ayame mumbles a quiet protest before settling down to her study table, getting out a few notebooks from her desk drawer. Frowning at the lack of light, she lights her lamp.

Fuuto shortly finishes, and returns to the comfy, springy bed. He feigns a yawn as he discreetly steals a glance at his older sister. Already used to his presence, she casually flips through her study book before settling down on a page, grabbing a pen as she starts to take notes. He rolls his eyes. Nerd.

Satisfied, he turns his attention to the small plasma T.V, quickly getting sucked in by the lead actor's performance. He really was amazing, that man. The way he walked so casually wasn't easy by no means. Emotional scenes were much easier to act out, simply because you could get away with anything –as people tend to act unpredictably when feelings came into place. But ordinary scenes were different. It was hard acting normal- just as it is when you try acting strong in front of your friends even though you're nearly on the verge of breaking down. It's hard, and any actor - or anybody, really- who could pull it off so naturally deserved an award –well, except in real life. Problems need to be spoken in reality, after all.

Before long, Fuuto's eyes shine, akin to admiration. Hopefully he too could eventually become an actor of that caliber.

His eyes darken. His current job offer was his only chance- if he fails, they'll never cast him again. He has to work hard.

A rare bean of insecurity sprouts in his chest.

…There was no way he would fail himself. He worked hard and tirelessly for the offer- studying films, getting advice from his senior's at work, finally being acknowledged by his company's president-

He won't fail. He _can't _fail. He'll succeed- and the world will know, that Fuuto Asakura isn't just a boy with a pretty face and familial connections—he's talented, a hard-worker.

_Hard, hard, hard-_

_Work, work, work-_

_Success, success, success-_

"…He's a great actor, Daichi Matsuoka."

He snaps out of his reverie, as he gives a surprised stare to Ayame, who was leaning nonchalantly leaning back on her chair, arm slinging back lazily. She smiles calmly –with, admiration? - as she stares at the veteran actor, playing his character sleeping peacefully.

"…You know him?"

Ayame rolls her eyes, almost as if his question was stupid. Fuuto resists the urge to stick out his tongue, her answer being his current priority.

"Of course. He's one of Japan's leading actors, how couldn't I? Though many people think Junichi Hanazono's better, I beg to differ. Matsuoka acts more naturally," She replies, a smile now gracing her lips as she stares at the screen with interested eyes.

Fuuto stares at her silence before commenting, "…Hm. At least you got the sense not to blindly follow the mainstream."

"Oh, thank you." She says, tainted with sarcasm. He huffs his chest, before laying his eyes on the screen yet again.

Moments later, he speaks up, shattering her out of study mode.

"But do you know what makes this scene spectacular?"

"…No?" Ayame mumbles, her lips fixed together. A few short seconds of tense silence ensue, before the idol unexpectedly cuts it off with a snort.

"…Ha! Knew you were still an idiot, even if you know _some _stuff," Fuuto says, flicking his head to the side. Ayame merely smiles with resign, shaking her head lightly before returning to her studies.

He would explain –but he was feeling oddly tired for some reason. He passes it off as the lack of sleep from the day before.

Fuuto huffs, mussing his hair—though quickly freezing, his hand brushing against his skin. Cold, clammy skin to be exact. He completely loses his smile, his lips even slightly agape.

Was…that cold sweat? No—nah, that's wrong. Cold sweat is when you're _anxious, nervous,_ and Asakura Fuuto was _neither, never _one of those things. He was merely hot. Pun not intended.

He forces a smirk, ignoring his rasp breath, and turns to Ayame.

"Hey, you got a fan?" He says casually, looking at her back. Resting her pen, she looks over her shoulder, a slightly puzzled expression smearing her face.

"Yes, but why?"

He raises a brow, before sighing heavily.

"Cause it's hot, obviously. Now turn it on."

"…But it's autumn."

He grits his teeth at her answer.

"Your room's hot! _Just_, just turn it on." He snaps, his tone slightly more raspy and hoarse. Ayame stares with widened eyes, before closing her separated lips firmly. She gives a clear nod as she gets off her chair, walking towards the closet, where her dusty and unused fan resided.

Fuuto leans down the bed, evening his ragged breaths. He looks up the blank ceiling, nothing but an unlit light greeting him.

His eyes narrow. He was the spotlight- a light full of potential. He only needed the opportunity to be switched on- to blind the world with his brightness. And now, he had it.

_This is my chance. I won't ruin my opportunities any further. _

Closing his eyes, he waits for Ayame to finish setting up the fan. A moment passes, and shortly, a cool, soft wind fans his clammy skin, much to his relief. He lets out a soft sigh, relaxing against the bed.

He feels Ayame's gaze strongly fixed on him, but he doesn't bother commenting. He was tired- far too tired- to do so. She slowly treads back to her seat. Yes, just like that- just leave him be-

A puff of air- not from the fan- blows his face. He feels a presence bounce onto the bed.

He opens one eye, "…Aren't you gonna study?"

She smiles calmly, patting the bed with nonchalance, "After you gain some color to your face, yes. But now, no."

He scowls- to which she lets out a chuckle. Slightly confused, he crosses his brows, though leaving it be. The only sound resounding in the room coming from the T.V, the two fall into silence. A minute or so passes before he speaks up.

"…Leave me alone. I'm not upset or whatever you're thinking- just tired. I had to work from eight to midnight, you hear me? It's hard being an, idol, you know."

"I imagine. But I'm a bit good at spotting liars, even a partial lie, and curious to boot- so that won't be happening." A smile decorates her face as she goes on, "Plus...you _look_ like you want to be talked to."

She gets a glare for that one. Ayame chuckles, her hand covering her mouth, only making him more aggravated.

"Oh don't make that face, Fuu-chan. It'll ruin your pretty face,"

He smirks lightly with crossed arms, "So you do notice my beauty?"

"Of course. I know a pretty face when I see one." Ayame says, before quickly losing her playful glint, an observant look replacing it, "…Why do you ask? Do you feel doubtful of your prideful self?"

He ignores her bait, not taking it.

"Of course not. Who do you think I am? Me. As if I'm ever -insecure or anxious," He comments with a smirk, before quickly losing it. He clutches his stomach.

There. There it was again. That sickening feeling of his intestines being twisted around like dough, his stomach doing back flips as his gut plays tug-of-war- there it was. He tries to gulp down the ache, but it doesn't properly swallow –meanwhile, his chest heaves unnaturally and irregularly-

"Fuuto."

Ayame's firm voice snaps him out of it. Quickly, he forcefully tears his clenched hand off of his stomach, wearing a strained smirk as he cocks his head sidewards.

"Ye...Yes, my adorable older sister?" He says, but quickly regrets. It sounded out of context, and obviously forced- from his shaky voice and breath to the strange words coming out, considering he was supposed to be 'irritated'. No, this was not good- and here he was, hoping to be an actor-

"…Fuuto? _Fuuto._"

-if he couldn't even trick _her_, act out of this situation, there was no way he would be able to impress the judges- the director, fellow colleagues, staff, companies-

-Wait, what was going on? He- he can't breath? What is this? What _is _this?

_Oh no. I'm dying. _

_I-I'm having a heart attack- I'll, I'll di-_

Suddenly, he's in someone's embrace, hushing whispers in his ears, rocking him back and forth like a crying baby. Though confused and bewildered, he slowly relaxes into their embrace, his muscles loosening, breaths becoming more and more even and deep. After a few good minutes of deep breathing, he relaxes completely, and raises his head weakly, his forehead completely drenched with cold sweat.

Meeting Ayame's concerned yet calm gaze, he resists the urge to gag. Did he _just _do that in front of his toy? Feebly slapping off her hands, he stares at the ground, his hands locked together on his knees. She watches him silently rock back and forth, knowing better not to give him a pat on the back or the like. She waits for him silently, averting her gaze to the side for his comfort.

After giving him a couple of more minutes, she glances over. Upon seeing the rocking ceased, her shoulders loose lightly. She turns her head fully to the less shaken boy, a warm comforting smile worn on her thin lips.

"…Fuuto-kun. What are feeling right now? Are you anxious? Are you feeling calm?" Ayame asks gently, much too soft to his liking. What had happen to her witty comebacks? Her sarcastic demeanor? It was like she was treating him like a weakling - fragile porcelain. Clenching his jaw tightly, he lashes back.

"…Shut _up_." He rasps, pushing her comforting hand away.

Being irritatingly understandable, she gives him a clear nod before standing up, walking towards her desk. She stays there for a while, brimming over a book suspiciously familiar with a steady gaze. The two stay like that for another good few minutes, the only noises being made the spoken dialogue of the movie and her long, elegant fingers gently flipping pages.

Squeezing the bed's fabric, Fuuto smirks, a scornful look smearing his usually handsome features.

"…Go on. Laugh at me."

Ayame pauses in her movements. After a few seconds, she slowly lifts her head from her book, a small smile adorning her lips.

"…Why should I?"

He snorts at her answer.

"I know you want to. Me, the usually so smug and cocky idol, being in such a vulnerable state. Oh, the_ irony_, right? Don't hold back, it'll piss me off even further," Fuuto snarls, glaring at her with something akin to resentment, "And you _don't_ want to see me even madder,"

Ayame stares at him, a calm expression resting on her features, "…If that truly made you feel better, then I easily would without hesitation- but I really doubt that's the case."

At her answer, he growls before lying back on the bed. He rests his arms beneath his head, chewing his lip irritably.

"Just leave me alone. I don't need your help or, 'talk'," He says, staring at the ceiling.

"Fuuto, if you don't talk eventually, it'll happen again." Ayame says with a sense of knowing that aggravates him even further. Wearing a scornful expression, he rises up from the bed, glaring at her with a sardonic sneer.

"Oh? And what makes you so sure?"

She pauses. See? She really didn't know jack shi-

"Personal experience."

He freezes at her words, staring at her with wide eyes and slightly parted lips.

She rests her gaze on the book again, a somewhat melancholic gaze to her look, "Though it was more when I was younger. Ema's had a few, too. Must be genetics."

He stares at her, something cooking inside of him. He squeezes his stomach involuntarily. Was- was he panicking again? No, no. That's not.

He quickly saw it as untrue when his heart pangs at her somewhat distant expression. She glances to the side, a muted story told in her clouded eyes, "…Though that's strictly impossible,"

At her peculiar comment, he cocks his head to the side, staring at her with knitted brows. She merely smiles, before getting up from her chair. Sensing his glare, she stops mid-way, resigning herself across of him, on the carpet. She notices his once tense shoulders slump, and her smile widens ever so slightly.

"…I dislike forcing people, but I think we should have a chat. I'm experienced, after all. I can provide a few tips."

He clicks his tongue strongly, whipping his head to the side. Though, Ayame had a feeling he wasn't entirely reluctant. He experienced something frightening, after all. It's no surprise that he would seek out a little help from someone experienced.

"Starting off…" Ayame starts, earning a dissatisfied frown from Fuuto, "Is this the first time you've experienced a panic attack?"

To her surprise, his eyes widen and he turns to face her, confusion blatant on his face.

"…That was a panic attack?" Fuuto murmurs, staring at her with dilated eyes.

Ayame frowns slightly before continuing, "Though I'm no certified psychologist, I'm pretty sure that was one, coming from experience," She stares at him with a glint of curiosity, "Why? Did you think it was something else?"

He pauses for a few seconds, looking down with a difficult gaze, "…Something similar passed across my mind, but I never really classified it."

Ayame stares him in the eye, giving a small, bitter smile.

_Pride blinded his eyes, huh?_

She shakes her head lightly, receiving a glare from the boy.

"What? I've never experienced it so how am I supposed to know, idiot? God, the things people expect from me…" Fuuto sighs heavily, crossing his arms with the shake of his head, "Not that I blame them. I'd find it hard to expect any less from me,"

She couldn't help but snort at that one. Fuuto briefly protests, before flashing- momentarily- a small smile.

Ayame smiles also. The boy was back on his feet faster than she expected, considering it was his first time. As expected of someone as headstrong as him.

"Okay then, 'Sir Perfect'," she starts, though pausing shortly, "…Can you think of any triggers that caused the attack?"

She sees his body tense, the grip around his arms tightening upon her words. He shifts uncomfortably, a bead of sweat travelling down his forehead. Noticing his face gradually flight into panic, his lips quivering and breaths turning shaky, she quickly goes to coax him.

"It's okay," she whispers, "Breathe deeply, and you'll be fine. Nothing terrible will happen; it's just you and me, nobody else. I won't hurt you and you won't hurt me, thus we'll be fine. All you need to know is that everything's okay, nothing's 'bad'."

Her words apparently reaching him, Fuuto slowly begins to focus on his breathing, starting off shaky then gradually steadying. He closes his eyes.

"Good, just like that. You're doing fine," Ayame says softly. A minute passes and Fuuto finds himself calm again. Slowly, Ayame leaves off from before.

"Now, I'm going to ask again," Ayame says firmly, though with a gentle, reassuring tone, "Do you have any ideas on what caused your panic?"

His reaction comparatively better from before, Fuuto breathes out deeply before slowly cracking open his eyes. Ayame finds herself smiling at the nervous determination shining bright in his eyes.

"…Remember how I mentioned I was going to be in a movie?"

"The one you mentioned at the rental store?"

He nods.

"I see," she says, nodding, "Is it a big job?"

He slowly looks down to the ground, his eyes visibly darkening. She observes him with a watchful eye.

"…From another person's point of view, they might not understand- but to me, this job is very important," Fuuto says, before looking up, "It'll decide the outcome of my career,"

Ayame blinks a few times. From memory, he had stable popularity. And from his previous sentence, it didn't seem to be even that big of a job.

"How will it affect you?"

He merely glances to the side, and thirty seconds of silence pass before Ayame starts to get impatient. But really, who wouldn't? It's a national idol's career, after all.

At her patience's end, Ayame breaks the silence.

"...Fuu-"

"I…want to become an actor. Not an idol, not a singer, but an actor." Fuuto murmurs, interrupting Ayame. She blinks her eyes, but doesn't voice her surprise, letting him continue. "Ever since I was a kid, I've always admired stars like Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro," He glances over to the rolling film, "…Daichi Matsuoka. Especially him."

He looks up. Spotting her expectant yet patient gaze, he slowly goes on.

"This...job. Is an indie film produced by a small company. The type that gets forgotten by the masses," He says, looking down with a dampened expression, "But, rom-com dramas aside, it's my first debut to the big screen."

Seeing his hesitation to continue, Ayame softly encourages him, giving him some courage.

He nods slowly, hesitantly continuing, "...My company's president said that if I do a good job on this, he might consider switching me to acting,"

Ayame's gaze narrows in thought, as she focuses in on the boy.

"...That _is_ a very good opportunity. I understand your anxiety, then."

He rolls his eyes, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Uh-duh. Why're you stating the obvious?" He huffs, before mumbling, "Plus, I wasn't _that_ nervous..."

Ayame cracks a small smile. Emotionally vulnerable or not, he's still the smug little kid that they all knew and hated.

Turning his head to the side, his eyes narrow. "And...if I screw this up, I'll never be an actor. Only a mere idol."

As Fuuto falls into silence, so does Ayame.

Wordlessly, she gets up the ground, walking towards the despair-stricken boy silently. Brown meeting almond, he takes a sharp intake of breath as he feels her thin, spangly arms tightly wrap around him, giving a firm, reassuring squeeze.

"...Now, who said that?" She whispers, her lips uncomfortably near his pink-_ish, _ears.

He considers protesting, pushing her suffocating empathy and hug away, but-

He found that he didn't dislike the sensation.

"Society? Expectations? Family? Friends?" She continues, still whispering near his ear, holding him closer. Pink dusts his cheeks before he brushes it off, focusing on the subject at hand. His expression turns blank yet dark.

"…They want me to continue being an idol, but that's not me."

He feels her smile against his hot ear.

"Right? Then just go for it."

He lets out a small grunt of frustration, as he lightly squirms under her embrace, "_That's _not possible. It's not that simple. I can't just go and _do. I_ don't have the authority. Unless I do good in this movie, all is for naught. Can't you understand that?"

Silenced by his words, Ayame stays quiet, and slowly loosens her hold on him. He sighs as he closes his eyes. Stupid. Her words were far too idealistic to be comforting. He already knew the harsh reality of the real world- there was no use trying to coax, _trick _him into thinking as long as you want to, you can. Reality is harsh and unforgiving-

"-Fuuto, to live a satisfied life, you've got to be selfish." Ayame states with a firm edge, dragging him out of his brooding thoughts. Surprised, he lifts his head, fluttering his long lashes as he stares at the woman in front of him. Her expression is dark yet knowing, one unfamiliar to him. She continues without hesitation, "Selfish enough to ignore every else's selfishness, happiness, security. Crush them, and take what you _want_. But in the end, why should you even _care?_ Ultimately, they're just 'else's'. You don't feel what they feel- you don't feel the satisfaction and relief they do- so why care? Throw them away and shine selfishly. That's what the entertainment business is all about, reality also. You've abandoned countless, countless friends you made along the way for your own greedy ambition for the starlight, right?"

Fuuto gulps slowly, his crossed arms tensing.

...What she said hit the mark. Or rather, the tiny remnant of guilty conscience that the idol had in him. He couldn't even remember their faces, let alone the names of the the people he tread on- the ones he so called 'friends'.

But he had no choice. It was a kill or live social structure. And someone as ambitious and talented as him was _not _going to let some overly-zealous dogs try to stop him in his way.

...He fought, and won. That's what the strong do.

"If you can't even do that, quit it all together. Idol, acting, singing, dancing. All." Ayame states, looking him in the eye sharply.

"...Well, aren't you acting like a know-it-all?"

She cracks a small, difficult smile that was hardly interpretable, "Maybe. But I know a little. Acceptance exams are pretty similar in structure, after all. You get in a good university, you get a good job, you have a stable life. You get picked in auditions, you do good in the job, you get liked by the people, you become famous."

He stares at her in silence for a few seconds before commenting. "...Nerd."

"Admittedly so." She smiles. The two stay in silence before Ayame eventually speaks up, though looking down.

"...Anyways, I think you should just do what you want." She says, the gaze in her eyes clouding up, looking distant and far-away. Fuuto slowly meets her eyes. "Otherwise, it'll be too late, and you'll become an adult in no time. And no turning back, wrapped in chains and bounded by stability. Who cares if they don't want you to? Why obey when you can rebel and live the way you _actually _want to? A life is not on a leash, it's free as a wild horse. You just can't let it be tamed," She looks down before whispering softly, "...Don't be like me."

At her comment, Fuuto raises his gaze, meeting her distant one with deeply furrowed brows.

"What do you mean?"

She smiles sadly, her eyes clouding up once again. Thinking she was going to brush off again, he tries to continue, but stops upon hearing her soft murmur. "...I used to have a dream, as small as the reason was. But then...it got replaced...by a small, stupid priority."

Fuuto stares at her suspiciously.

"And?"

She smiles gently, evading. "The rest's a secret."

He groans, to which she chuckles.

After a short silence, she continues.

"So? Have I helped you clarify things a bit?"

Fuuto stares at her for a moment.

"No. You just told me to ditch everybody else and just do as I please. Not anything really reassuring about the job. Like, 'Don't worry, you'll be fine!' or, 'There's always other chances! Don't beat yourself over this one._'_"

Ayame gulps, guilt surfacing to her exterior, "...That kind of makes me sound like a selfish bitch."

"You've interpreted my sentence well. Good job, for once." Fuuto snidely comments, as he watches a flicker of irritation cross Ayame once calm features. He grins. Riling people always was fun.

However, he quickly loses the smirk as he notices her soft, content smile. Something boils in his gut, as he lets out a short sigh, irritation flashing.

"...Why, are you listening?" He whispers, his gaze casting down.

She stares at him blankly before a small smile creeps up to her lips, "You're a brat, but you're family-"

"No- _no_. That's an excuse, not a reason." Fuuto says, weakly bringing a lazy hand to her face.

Ayame blinks a few times before letting out a hearty laugh.

His brows knit together as he turns to the side, their eyes fixed on one another.

"What? What's so funny?"

"I just thought that we're more similar than I thought," Ayame smiles calmly, though with a hint of amusement, "That's all."

Fuuto cocks a brow, crossing his arms as he stares at the girl with slight interest glimmering in his eyes.

"Oh, really?"

She nods with a smile, before gazing off with a distance look to her feline eyes.

"But if I were to say…" Her eyes soften before she continues, a smile brightening delicately, "I suppose…'because you're sad, therefore I comfort you'."

"That's a terrible excuse," Fuuto says with apparent disgust, his face scrunched in distaste at her lacking and unsatisfying answer. He slowly casts his gaze down, mumbling, "Plus, I'm not even sad."

Her chuckles increase in volume, seemingly pleased with his answer- much to his confusion and puzzlement.

"I know, right? It's so vague." She says, her gaze resting on the ground. He stares at her with puzzlement- but lets it go, noticing her content expression. He stares at her for a while- letting his eyes trail over her. Slowly, he intertwines his fingers in hers, tracing his thumb over. Wide-eyed like a doe, she slowly raise her gaze, her almond stare boring into his chocolate.

He _smiles_, _not_ smirk, and rests his head onto her shoulder.

Unable to say- or even stutter- a word, Ayame finds herself just staring at him, eyes as wide as God could let her get away with without looking like an alien from outer space.

To say the least, she was shocked. _That _Fuuto -prideful, cocky, teasing,- nuzzling up to her without even a single teasing statement?

That's a funny joke.

"...Fuuto-kun, what are you doing?" Ayame says, in a surprisingly calm voice, much to her joy and pride.

"...Hm? Having bonding time with my dear sister." Fuuto says with a _soft __smile _-yes, yet _again_ not a smirk, and _soft!_\- as he playfully continues to caress her thumb with an attentive gaze.

She'll admit, she shivered. Whether out of sheer disgust or something else, it is debatable. (though she _will_ vehemently deny the latter. Fifteen years old, remember?)

"...Why is it that I feel the need to defend myself right now?" She says, coughing a little. He smirks as he rolls his eyes.

"Nobody's here to watch, nee-san. There's nothing to worry about," Fuuto says, before his lips thin into a smirk and leans closer to her ear, to his satisfaction, was surprisingly hot. "...Or do you want to caught? Flirting with a boy five years your junior, an idol, and your little brother at that? I can't say I reciprocate your kinks but..."

She knocks him on the head for that one.

Groaning, Fuuto clasps his head, unwillingly leaving Ayame's hand free.

She stares at him cautiously as she rubs her hand as if dirtied.

"What's with the sudden change of demeanor? It's creepy, and I recommend you stop."

"So you _want_ me to bully you? I am finding out a lot of things about you today, aren't I nee-san?" Fuuto smirks coyly, mischief glimmering in his gaze.

Groaning softly, she lightly slaps his shoulder.

Fuuto rubs his arm, whining about bruises and the like, to which she just rolls her eyes. The two fall into silence, Ayame staring off with Fuuto stealing glances from time to time.

Slowly, his gaze softens.

...What was this feeling?

He felt, calm. Very much the opposite of what he felt around twenty odd minutes ago- when he was needlessly frightened.

The fear, the panic, the hurl had all settled down, like the calm after the storm. For the first time in a long while, amongst his rambunctious, redundant amount of brothers and insane schedule, he felt at peace.

He watches the relaxed expression of the woman next to him, the open veranda inviting in some fresh air, the wind mussing her hair- her, in turn, making a small scowl as she fixes her disheveled fringe.

Though briefly, he smiles.

...He likes this feeling, really.

Slowly, his hands snake in hers again, jolting her out of her daze. With a bothered expression, she turns around to face him, wearing a protesting frown.

"Really? After I just told you?" She says, sighing lightly.

He smiles.

...He never thought himself to be the type to like older girls.

"...I should have noticed earlier, sorry for being a brat." Fuuto whispers, slowly leaning in closer to her tempting, soft-looking lips. Her eyes widen as she stares at his approaching lips, finding herself to be unable to protest, her body completely frozen in wonder and bewilderment.

His heart warms as his lips lean closer and closer by the second, and flutters his softened gaze-

-Until a few prompt knocks from the door snap him out of it. The two jerk their heads toward the door, eyes bulged and breaths rasp.

The knock drags Ayame out of her initial shock.

"E-Excuse me," Ayame mutters, untangling his arms, gaining awkward mumbles of apologies from the boy. He stares at her as she awkwardly prods over to the door, her gaze cast down.

As she slowly arrives at the door, he lets out a soft curse, mussing his curls in distress.

_Somebody _just had to interrupt, didn't they?

Whoever they were, he was sure to get some later.

He grits his teeth, racking up plans of revenge for the near future. Hearing the door creak, he slowly raises his gaze to the door, relieving his abused fingernail from his pearly canines.

The glimpse of grey and a radiating presence blinding his sight, he scowls, feeling disgust hurl in his stomach.

Him. It just had to be him! Wait- of course it was. Ever the prince charming saving the damsel in distress from a make-out sesh.

"Ah…" A faint blush cascades from Ayame, quickly joined in by a bright, happy smile. "Hey, Iori. What brings you here?"

Fuuto grits his jaw tightly, for some reason feeling even more irritated with his older brother's presence than usual. He glares at the two's interaction from afar, feet tapping rapidly on the carpet floor.

Iori gently smiles back at Ayame, before quietly raising up a single stalk.

Ayame blinks, before slowly accepting the flower in question.

"Is this...?"

"An iris, yes." He says, smiling as delicately as the pinkish blossom.

"Why...?" Ayame says, tilting her head to the side with a pondering expression.

He merely smiles, his usually cool gaze softening significantly.

"Because I thought of you when I saw it."

His words translating to her ears, her complexion slowly flushes to the pink shade of the iris flower. Her grip on the blossom weakens significantly, the flower drooping slightly in evidence.

The observer, Fuuto, contorts his face in disgust as he resists the urge to hurl at the utter cheesiness and how she swooned over something as lame as _that._

However, also being unable to ignore the similar twist clenching painfully in his heart, Fuuto quickly strides up to Ayame, glomping her from behind.

She tumbles slightly, bewildered by the sudden movement, though quickly regaining balance. She sends a glare back at Fuuto, her irritated expression telling him all he needed to know- to which he promptly ignored.

"Nee-san~ What took you so long? I was so _lonely_..." Fuuto whines, dodging Ayame's hands shooting towards his cheeks with a mock pout, effectively causing her to swing along to his swift movements. After a short struggle, namely from Ayame, it shortly ends with Fuuto's lips twisted into a playful smirk. However, feeling an unsaintly presence boring holes into him, he slowly raises his head, his dim brown meeting with hostility hidden in blank hazel. Fuuto tilts his his head to the side, purposely faking wonder with his knitted brows.

"Huh, nii-san? What are you doing here?" He says blankly, though coyly sliding his hand up right underneath Ayame's frankly, lacking breast. Though it seems to do the trick as the older male's expression contorts slightly in disgust and a hint of jealousy, a scowl remaining on his usually blank features for more than a few seconds, which was more than satisfying.

His already bursting ego increases with fervor, a sly, cocky grin making way.

Though, not only Iori seems to notice his controversial action, as a delayed, long sigh escapes from Ayame's lips, slowly bringing his hand down to her hip, which sufficed him for the time being.

Iori also reluctantly satisfied, he continues on.

"...I should be asking that too. What were you doing in her room?" Iori says, coldly glaring down on the boy.

"A movie date. Jealous?" Fuuto casually responds before shortly flashing his brother his tongue. He smirks, noticing the slight, barely visible twitch of irritation flash across Iori's features.

"I wonder where your film analysis went." Ayame sighs, while trying to pry off his strong grip, to which he puts up a strong resistance.

Fuuto merely shrugs, before squeezing her even more tightly, expectantly peeking up at his brother. To his delight, the taunts work, as Iori bites his lip, stepping closer to the boy.

"Fuuto." Iori mutters, gripping the pop star's wrist tightly, attempting to yank him off. "Don't you think you've had enough? Nee-san's busy, and so should you be. You should get to work,"

"I wonder when you started caring about my well-being. It _oddly _started around the time nee-san came, I think?" Fuuto slowly strips himself from Ayame, taking a few steps closer to Iori. He rests his mouth near the prince-like figure's ear, "...And if it's because of _that, _I won't hesitate to strike. Though I'm not going to hold back anyway,"

Fuuto narrows his eyes as he feels Iori's body tense.

"What do you mean by 'that'?" Ayame asks unexpectedly. Fuuto jerks, before cautiously looking back.

_...She heard him? _

So much for subtlety. Not that that was his forte in the first place, though.

He scratches his head, shrugging.

"...Ahh. Nothing, nee-san. Anyways, see you." Fuuto says, adding in a small, sincere, smile. Ayame blinks a few times, and before she can reply, Fuuto struts off into the distance, curling around the hallway.

"So...what did he mean?" Ayame says, now meeting eyes with Iori. To her surprise, he glances to the side, an insincere, obligatory smile decorating his face.

"...Nothing of importance." He mutters, his features slightly frozen.

Seeing this, Ayame feels her mood turn sour.

Sighing softly, she reaches out, patting him on the head.

"Hey, if it's something Fuuto said, don't pay it no mind. He probably doesn't mean it. Plus, 'he's a good kid inside', right?" She says, smiling softly.

Iori stares at her blankly before he eventually cracks a small smile.

"...Yeah. Thank you, nee-san."

_Though it wasn't him. _

Happy to have cheered her little brother at least a little bit, Ayame smiles widely, slowly bringing her hand back to her side.

"So, what brings you here anyway?" Ayame says, looking up to the boy. He smiles gently.

"I was thinking of asking a favour."

She quirks a brow.

"Oh? Rare. Go on."

He smiles softens, "I still haven't managed to learn the dance for the wedding, so I was wondering if you could be my practice partner. And, while we're at it, could you also help me practice for my school festival? For the bonfire dance."

Ayame blinks in surprise, before a small smile eventually creeps up to her features. Warmth filling her heart, she lets out a few light chuckles.

"Of course. And speaking of good timing, I justbought the music for the wedding. I'll just grab the CD player," Ayame says, turning around, prodding back into her abode.

Iori waits patiently, leaning on the door frame. His eyes swat over the details of her room.

...Last time, he only caught a glimpse, so he found it as an opportunity as the time to immerse himself.

As he expected, the room was tidy and organised, and quite plain in appearance, but he was also the same, so no comment there.

His eyes smile though, as he spots a familiar book, sprawled over her study desk. She seemed already quite deep in the book.

...She probably took a liking to it.

He smiles gently.

That made him somewhat joyful.

He snaps out of his reverie as she places a vase on her end table, gently sliding in the thin, elegant blossom. She smiles softly, gazing at it with apparent affection.

...That also made him happy.

Soon enough, she returns to his side, a classic album and CD player in hand. He courteously pry it away from her hands, much to her arguments and protests. Waving off her insistence, he wordlessly props the two items on the ground. Ayame furrows her brows, though reluctantly reflects his small, polite smile.

"Now then," she looks into his eyes, "May I ask for a dance?" Iori says with an absolutely charming smile, humorously bowing as he offers out his hand. Ayame can't control her giggles, and before long, she's in his arms dancing slowly to the smooth, romantic music.

* * *

Kaname struts in the comfort of his family home, his hazel eyes searching for his abundance of siblings. Wearing a charming smile, he sings out with a lively chirp, his face blessed by his ridiculously charming smile.

"Anybody here? Imouto-chan~? Kyo-nii~?" He chirps. With no one answering him, he knits his brows in slight confusion.

Usually there'd be at least one person during this hour...

Scouring lazily around the living room for a humanly presence, he frowns when no one answers his calls. However, he abruptly halts when an innocent murmur enters his ears. However, his slightly widened slowly succumb, as he looks over to the couch, a sleeping boy resided.

"Nnn...Maa-kun, usa-tan..." Wataru mumbles, childish drool dripping on his precious bunny rabbit.

Kaname's eyes soften as he watches his youngest brother mumble, tossing about his still developing arms weakly in his sleep. Situating himself on the couch rest, Kaname lightly brushes his calloused hand across Wataru's fringe, a small smile soon emerging at the softness.

_...He's all puckered out._

Spotting the T.V remote on the coffee table, he reaches out his long arms and turns off the television. Smiling softly, he puts down the remote and replaces his hold on Wataru, heaving the boy up in his arms. At the unexpected weight, Kaname groans softly, struggling to situate the boy properly.

"...Last time, I'm pretty sure he wasn't _this _heavy," He mumbles, before letting out a sultry chuckle, "_Or _I'm just getting old...Ah, well..."

"It's probably that," A deep, masculine voice mutters together with light footsteps following shortly.

Surprised by the sudden voice, Kaname looks back, and smiles softly at the presences.

"Oh, Suba-chan, Imouto-chan~! Welcome home. School? Wait, that'd be a little late for that..."

Ema smiles gently and bows slightly.

"I was out shopping to pick the wedding songs. It took a little more than I expected, though...Ah, and when I walking home, I bumped into Subaru-san so he helped me with carrying them." Ema says with a small smile, slowly lifting her school bag, filled with albums and notebooks.

Subaru nods, basketball and shopping bag in hand.

Kaname briefly glances at the basketball boy's belongings before his eyes glimmer in recognition. He grins widely, showing off his polished teeth.

"...Suba-chan, that basketball~!" Kaname says, a teasing tone to his voice. Subaru immediately turns a few shades darker, mumbling incoherently and timidly looks down to his sneakers.

"That's the one from Ayame-chan, isn't it? You know, the birthday present." Kaname comments, letting out a few deep, rich chuckles characteristic of him.

Subaru's cheeks darkens even further, timidly nodding as his brows knit together.

_"What was that for?" _

A foreign voice and distant high-pitched giggles muse their ears. Kaname cocks his head, and Subaru immediately flushes bright red, slowly looking up with an anticipating expression, though quickly losing the brightness in his face.

Curious, Kaname twirls around to the source, the sleeping Wataru spinning in his built arms as he does so. However, he abruptly halts mid-twirl, eyes widening at the cause.

Outside the garden, under the family tree, and Iori and Ayame dance slowly, as never before seen uncontrollable giggles escaping from the usually cold(towards him)girl.

As an inevitable snort gives way from their new step-sibling, Iori smiles with a hint of pride, before leaning closer to her reddened ears, whispering a few words.

From what Kaname could observe, whatever Iori said seemed to have worked magic, as Ayame laughs to the brink of muteness, only choked breaths managing to come out of her. She whips her head back, amused tears threatening to drop, and come they do.

Smiling faintly, Iori gently her tilts her face up, slowly bringing her features to meet his. Ayame blinks a few times, leftover tears gently plopping out from her eyelids. Slowly, he brushes his long, elegant fingers up her neck to her flushed cheeks, gently wiping the crystal tears away.

The trio of siblings freeze at the overtly friendly act, with Ayame blushing all shades of red, her breath seemingly hitching.

As Iori smiles handsomely, a slow, shy one creeps up from Ayame, gazing deeply into his hazel eyes.

Kaname freezes. He hears Wataru groan sleepily at the tightening grip around him- but Kaname could not bring himself to relax his clasp.

He knew that expression all too well.

At the club, where his customers would look up to him- wearing the same, smitten gaze, their cheeks dusted in pink, as they shyly looked away once noticing his returning gaze and careless wink.

It was all too familiar that it stabbed him deep in the innermost place of his already tattered heart- knowing that there was no disillusioning himself from the fact.

The fact, the fact that it was an expression of complete, smite, adoration, and _love._

...He would've found her expression cute, only if she didn't look like her.

"I'm- I'm going now!" Subaru stutters out, his gaze low as he escapes from the living.

"Ah- Suba-chan!" Kaname yells, swatting back to view his brother strut off in silence.

"Um- um, me too...!" Ema mutters, as she hurriedly runs off with a dark, lazily hidden blush, the CD's clattering in her school bag.

One hand stretched out, Kaname stares off helplessly as the two innocent young adults scatter off into the distance. Silence fills the room, and he lets out a sigh.

Looking at the sleeping Wataru once again, his eyes gain a steely, hardened look.

He won't fail like last time.

And whether she knew her feelings or not...well, he'd tear them right away, direct them elsewhere.

...He_ will _protect his family. All of them.

Resolve strong in his heart, he walks off without a word, Wataru in his arms.

However, as he stalks off, he throws one last glance at the garden, and immediately regrets his decision and he whips his head right back.

It seems that they weren't the only ones who noticed the other party.

_...I swear, that boy needs to tone down that glare. _

Keeping in mind to advise his younger brother on 'approachable', he finally exits the room.

* * *

A/N:

Annnnnnnnd unexpected angst.

Annnnnnnnd unexpected update.

Te-_he!_

That was _not _in my plans in writing Fuuto's bedroom rendezvous scene, but it kind of just happened. I wonder, I'm not even sad:/

But at least it's better than having the boring old scene just replaced with an O/C, am I right? Right? Plus, characterization is always a plus. Especially the unexpected ones. Fuuto, having an anxiety attack? Inconceivable! He's as confident as a…(can't think of one. So creative, right?) and also prideful as a lion. And people with pride, I think, can be easily frightened at the prospect of failure, because they're so fixated with being perfect all the darn time. And heck, Fuuto didn't even register that he was having a panic attack at first! I think that also says a lot about his character. Can't even consider himself panicking.

…Pshee.

I'm saying all this 'cool' stuff, but in the end I'm not even sure. Hopefully ya'll weren't like, "The fuck, man? This is so OOC! Bitcha, Imma drop this cause my bae is not insecure! OOC! Byee baby bitch!'

(seriously though, if you provide me an outright analyzation on how OOC this was…Imma hafta change it)

(this was so late it's ridiculus. But 11, 000 words is pretty long, so I hope I've done you guys justice)


End file.
